In a true game of two halves HKFC Ice, after leading 31-7 at half-time somehow managed to find enough to beat Kowloon 38-31 in an enthralling encounter at Shek Kip Mei.
A break down the wing by Crystal Wray sets up the HKFC Ice forwards who drive across the line inside the first minute only for some solid Kowloon defence to hold the ball up and prevent the try. The resulting attacking 5m scrum sees the Ice pack set up Bobby Wilson for a simple score under the posts, converted by Rachel Crothers, 7-0.
It’s all HKFC in the first quarter, a forward pass putting an end to a promising attack. Ice though steal the ball and pass it through the hands to Wray who’s tackled just short of the line. Wilson picks the ball up from the base of the ruck and scores her second try which Crothers again converts, 14-0. Kowloon appear still to be still mentally in the changing room and Crothers easily breaks the Kowloon defensive line and runs 60m to score Ice’s third try inside the first ten minutes, 19-0.
Perhaps stung by the rush of tries, Kowloon slowly begin to work their way into the game and pen HKFC inside their own 22. A fine piece of individual skill sees Chloe Ho Yee Mak breaking several tackles in a strong run to score under the posts. Ching Hei Victoria Wong converts the try, 19-7 to Ice after 18 minutes.
HKFC look to strike back quickly but a forward pass puts paid to the attack. Ice though keep up the pressure and spend a long period almost camped inside the Kowloon half. Eventually Kowloon’s defence cracks after multiple phases and Wilson breaks a tackle to complete her hat-trick on 33 minutes. After a storming run by Martha Webber shatters the Kowloon backline Crothers is in support to score and convert her second of the afternoon to give HKFC a comfortable 31-7 halftime lead.
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/HKFC-Ice-v-Kowloon-Shek-Kip-Mei-21-October-2017/i-MccmG2Z
Kowloon looking like a completely different team storm out of the blocks to start the second half and Cindy Yuen Lok Yee caps off a period of pressure with a fine try 31-12. More sustained pressure from Kowloon allows Chun Yan Ho to add a third, converted by Wong 31-19.
Suddenly there’s a swagger and belief in Kowloon’s play as Ice litterally melt in the autumn sunshine. An errant pass with the line beckoning denies Kowloon a fourth as the red and white striped shirts are suddenly first to almost every ball and tackle. A strong Kowloon scrum sees Winnie Cheung cross the line and suddenly it’s 31-24 and from dead and buried
Kowloon are only down by 7 points with almost 20 minutes to play.
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/HKFC-Ice-v-Kowloon-Shek-Kip-Mei-21-October-2017/i-QtsRzWG
HKFC are really struggling there’s no coordination, little communication and Kowloon steal a line out inside Ice’s 22 and as players and fans on the sidelines go wild Wing Chi Amber Tsang scores. Calm as you like Wong converts and it’s 31-31 in this pulsating game with just over 10 minutes to play.
Kowloon’s concentration slips for an instant though and in their only attack of the half HKFC’s Crothers digs deep and breaks through the backline to complete her hat-trick and with her conversion give Ice a 38-31 lead with 8 minutes to play.
Rugby while a physical game, is also very much a mental game and while Kowloon spend the rest of the game camped in the Ice 22, a smidgen of belief has gone and the errors start to creep back into their game as Ice just about cling on for the victory. Several Ice players are in tears after the final whistle – the effort stress and emotion of the game needing release. Kowloon are shattered, so nearly their first win of the season.
Kowloon:
Yip Cho Kwan, Winnie Cheung, Sin Ying Chan, Tsang Yan (C), Hiu Tung Chan, Maggie Au Yeung, Yee To Cheng, Jackie
Leung, Ho Yee Mak, Ching Hei Victoria Wong, Tsz Ki Chiu, Chun Yan Ho, For Wing Florence Lee, Wai Ling Chan, Chu Wing
Yee
Reserve: Lok Yee Cham, Yuk Wun Yip, Lok Sze Leung, Wing Chi Amber Tsang, Yan Long Mui
Tries: Wing Chi Amber Tsang, Chloe Ho Yee Mak, Winnie Cheung, Cindy Yuen Lok Yee, Chun Yan Ho
Conversions: Ching Hei Victoria Wong (3)
HKFC Ice:
Cheryl Gourley, Fion Got, Megan Richardson, Naomi Kate L Palis, Nina Pirie, Sophie Short, Martha Webber (C), Bobby
Wilson, Kimberly Yuen Ki Wrixon, Rachel Fong, Crystal Wray, Jaime Yuen Wing Ho, Rachel Crothers, Sheung Yee Siu,
Bernadette Bray, Anna KAM, Denise Chan, Angelina Cheung,
Reserve: Heidi Johnson, Helen Lee, Leung Wai Ying, Shonagh Ryan, Stephanie Heathcote
Tries: Rachel Crothers (3), Bobby Wilson (2)
Conversions: Rachel Crothers (4)
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/HKFC-Ice-v-Kowloon-Shek-Kip-Mei-21-October-2017/i-4sZkhWP
星期六的畢馬威女子欖球超級聯賽,Natixis香港足球會(港會)和九龍欖球會(九龍)表現了一場真正的對決,賽事十分精彩。港會在上半場本以31比7領先,但在下半場竟被九龍追至31比31平手,最後港會以一球險勝, 38比31。
開場一分鐘,港會Crystal Wray攔截成功,再由前鋒們在邊線把球帶入達陣線,可惜九龍防守嚴密,防止了港會第一個入球。但港會繼續進攻,在五米線爭球區Bobby Wilson簡單達陣,再由Rachel Crothers踢入,7比0。
比賽二十分鐘內,港會佔上風,不停進攻。雖有傳球錯誤,但對賽事並無太大影響。Bobby Wilson在帶球達陣,這是她的第二個入球,14比0。九龍精神上還沒有準備好比賽,Crothers帶球衝破防守線,直跑60米,為港會第三個入球,19比0。
九龍慢慢地進入了比賽節奏,把港會推至他們的22米線內。Chloe Ho Yee Mak發揮個人技術,衝過多個攔截,成為九龍的第一個入球,再由Ching Hei Victoria Wong踢入, 19比7。
港會立即反擊,可惜一個前傳球把機會錯失。但港匯沒有放棄進攻,繼續壓迫九龍。最後九龍防守開始鬆懈,Wilson看準機會,完成了他今天的第三個入球。數分鐘後,Martha Webber不甘示弱,帶球直衝九龍底線,再傳球給Crothers達陣,半場總分31比7。
下半場開始,九龍像是脫胎換骨,先由Cindy Yuen Lok Yee進攻,成功達陣, 31比12。九龍再加強對港會的進攻壓力,Chun Yan Ho再入一球, 31比19。完場前二十分鐘,九龍Winner Cheung再入一球,比數追至31比24。只是七分之差,九龍明顯地可以扭轉逆勢,反敗為勝。
港會亂了陣腳,再給九龍Wing Chi Amber Tsang一個機會入球。觀眾們都非常興奮。比賽還有十分鐘,成績是31比31。
九龍的集中和注意力有一點鬆散,令Crothers有機可乘,衝破九龍的後防線,38比31完場。
橄欖球不只是一種體力運動,也是一種高度的精神運動。集中力和對抗壓力都是致勝的關鍵。港會多個球員在賽後痛哭,足以證明了橄欖球比賽對精神和感情上的影響。
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/HKFC-Ice-v-Kowloon-Shek-Kip-Mei-21-October-2017/i-jpb4Nrn
Images: bc magazine, hkru