Hong Kong put in a 13-try performance against Malaysia in their Asia Rugby Championship encounter at the Hong Kong Football Club to move one step closer to the Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage. The championship finale against South Korea is on 2 June.
Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones declared the teams intent before the match – and then his players delivered on the pitch. The 91-10 defeat of Malaysia sets the stage for Hong Kong to claim its first Asian title since 2008.
Ignoring a kickable penalty in the opening minute, Hong Kong opted to kick deep for an attacking line-out which led to the game’s first try as lock Jamie Pincott smashed over for the all important early score.
Tries flowed thick and fast after that as Hong Kong had secured a bonus point and scored five tries inside the first 20-minutes.
Winger Max Denmark also scored his first try for Hong Kong this afternoon, moments after Pincott’s effort, before Conor Hartley crossed over untouched for his first try of the game, taking a clean ball from Lauder off a Hong Kong scrum deep in Malaysian territory.
Hartley followed up his effort with his second try moments later, this time off a barnstorming run with the towering winger unstoppable in the open field. Hartley would add his third try to start the second half and late in the match set up Lauder’s second score with another punishing run and perfectly timed offload as Hong Kong piled the points on the board.
Captain Jamie Tsang added a first half try and Hong Kong were awarded a penalty try in the opening stanza after buckling Malaysia’s scrum on the visitors try-line.
Hong Kong scored seven tries in the first half with Ben Rimene converting five and fly half Matt Rosslee a sixth (there is no conversion attempt following a penalty try). Rimene maintained his perfect record in the second half, converting all of Hong Kong’s six tries after the break, as first Hartley then lock Jack Delaforce, reserve centre Jack Neville, reserve flanker Mike Parfitt, Lauder, and prop Adam Fullgrabe all crossed the try line in the final forty minutes.
Malaysia only mustered one telling attack in the first half and No.8 Etonia Saukuru finished well off the fringes of a scrum on the Hong Kong line. Late in the match, Malaysia added a penalty.
Hong Kong’s offensive display included four debutant: scrumhalf Henry Poon and forwards Ted Soppet, Chris Pierrepont and Ronan Donnelly and coach Leigh Jones was pleased with the result as it leaves South Korea with a mountain to climb in their hopes of advancing to the Rugby World Cup play-off stages.
“We stuck to it right to the end and our fitness levels were great,” said Jones. “It was always going to be a potentially difficult game, but for different reasons. It was important we tried a few youngsters today and we did that. We challenged the guys to be professional all week and I think they were today. We came out and gave ourselves a real good points difference cushion now over South Korea.”
Captain Jamie Tsang said: “I think in terms of what we tried to get out of the game it is job done, five points and some points difference which is good to take into the Korea game.”
“In terms of Korea our set piece needs to be strong, we have to keep our structures, and we hope it’ll be like this as they have some big players. We will be structured but also look to bring some chaos into our game.”
The winner of this season’s Asian championship will advance to a home-and-away series versus Cook Islands in July to determine with the winner advancing to a final four-team qualifier in France in autumn. Today’s result leaves Hong Kong in a commanding spot on the Asian championship table with Korea all but mathematically eliminated.
“Mathematically, we just need a bonus point now to be absolutely secure [over South Korea]. But I think we want a win. So only a win will do,” commented Jones.
Hong Kong
15. Richard Cooke, 14. Conor Hartley, 13. Tyler Spitz, 12. Matthew Rosslee, 11. Max Denmark, 10. Ben Rimene, 9. Jamie Lauder, 8. Kane Boucaut, 7. Philip Whitfield, 6. Nicholas Hewson, 5. Jack Delaforce, 4. Jamie Pincott, 3. Jack Parfitt, 2. Jamie Tsang (captain), 1. Adam Fullgrabe
Malaysia
15. Mohamad Aiman Jamaluddin, 14. Samuela Tamanisau, 13. Vatimio Rabebe, 12. Atunasia Lacadamu Takubu, 11. Mohd Azmir Zanul Abdin, 10. Mohd Syahir Asraf Rosli (captain), 9. Aliff Sazrie Bn Azmi, 8. Etonia Vaqa, 7. Mohamad Syarif Saiful Aazwan, 6. Timoci Vunimoku, 5. Sae Faalupega, 4. Mohd Aliff Al Hafiz Abdul Kari, 3. Lawrence Petrus, 2. Amirul Mukminim Amizan, 1. Mohd Farid Sujari
Additional reporting and images: hkru, Asia Rugby