Tag: Lynda Nazer

Match Report: HKCC 29-0 HKFC Fire

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After a long, sweaty and tiring pre-season the start of the 2015/16 season has finally arrived. Head coach Alex Tarleton reports on HKCC season debut against HK Football Club Fire.

Match day started off in typical HKCC fashion with traumatic moments even before the season’s first whistle was blown – wrong buses, bus’s breaking down, replacements bus, no pitch booked and some tears (and that was just the coaches…). Finally a full squad of 23 arrived at KGV to warm-up, with time to spare.

With a T3 hoisted as Typhoon Mujigae brought wind and rain, nervous anticipation had the ladies fidgeting and keen to get the match and the season underway!

In the opening few minutes those nerves were very apparent, with HKCC resembling a herd of sheep following the ball around the field. However, a turnover saw summer signing Ashley Brooks make a quick break against the run of play to score a great solo effort from 30 yards out.

The opening score saw the ladies relax, become more settled and started to play the patterns we had been building on in pre season. Our shape was looking very good, our defence unbreakable and our scrum a great attacking platform.

Lynda Nazer having converted from a scrum half to a bustling back rower over the summer added two excellently worked tries, showing great determination to push over for an excellent brace.

The T3 was causing carnage at KGV with plastic bags and bottles invading the pitch, the rain hammering it down, but we went in 15-0 at the break.

The second half began a lot more tighter with HKFC regrouping and playing with a lot more ‘Fire’ as they tried to get back in the game. Both teams knew the next score was vitally important and CC withstood a lot of pressure from their rejuvenated opponents.

With the HKCC defence being pummeled, the ladies showed great character to withstand the pressure and keep FC from registering their first points of the season. Another turnover in the opposition half saw Ashley Brooks score again with Emma Chung adding the conversion to push the score out to 22-0, hopefully sealing the game with the bonus point.

We coaches were frantically signaling to keep up the hard work in defence as the Fire fly-half restarted the game, only for Tinley Wong to break through their defence straight from the kick off for a fifth try with Emma adding the conversion from in-front of the posts.

An excellent afternoon of rugby in testing conditions saw HKCC emerge with a 29-0 opening day bonus point win over HKFC Fire.

Celebrations then began on the side of the pitch and into the night….

Women of the match had to be both Brace Try scorers – Lynda Nazer and Ashley Brooks.

Women’s National League 1: HKCC 29-0 HKFC Fire
@KGV Kick-off: 16:30
HKCC: Kassie Chapel, Joan Yip, Jo Harvey, Katie Rowbottom, Lauren Petersen, Wendy, Lainie Man, Lynda Nazer, Ashley Brooks, Tinley Wong, Yana Dimitrova, Lucy Thomson, Tissia Polycarpe, Diana Li, Stephaine Zhang
Substitutes: Charlotte Berry, Mhairi McCloughlin, Carolyn Champion, Zoe Wong, Emma Chung, Wawa Li, Hoi Yi Li, Nobuko Oda
Tries: Lynda Nazer (2), Ashley Brooks (2), Tinley Wong. Conversions: Emma Chung (2)

WNL1 Grand Champ Quarter Final : City Sparkle 62-0 HKCC

WNL1 Grand Champ Quarter Final : City Sparkle 62-0 HKCC

It’s with a heavy heart that I take over the match reporting pen from the ever enthralling Sarah Higgins. It is my hope, that I can provide at least a fraction of the grit, passion and pun filled reviews that she has so excellently delivered.

It was a tense start in the WNL1 QFs with both teams, HKCC Babes & Comvita City Sparkle prepared to battle it out until the final whistle to continue their aspirations of silverware. Despite both teams being poised and ready to go, it was a scratch side put together at the last moment by HKCC due to an ever lengthening list of injuries, illness, work and travel commitments.

Comvita Citys’ speedy backline attacked with deft pace & within minutes of KO, it was clear that HKCC’s defense was not nearly as strong as it has been in weeks gone by. Fly half, and player of the match, Harriet Jamieson desperately managed a new backline and dominated the pitch. Her relentless tackling prevented a number of scoring opportunities but with too many gaps in the HKCC defense, City were quick to capitalize on opportunity and charged through the open spaces, scoring a series of tries.

Regrouping under the posts Captain Carolyn Champion offered words of wisdom to rally her troupes. The outcome was strong running, with ball in hand, from the forwards making precious yards but then the despair of turnover ball at the ruck and retaliation from City which more than often resulted in an accumulating tally of tries. While the Babes have come a long way in their impressive reemergence at XV-a-side rugby this season, they proved to themselves and their sideline support, there is always room for improvement.

At half time the cricketers were desperate to turn the game around and with a cavalry of fresh legs, some of those who were carrying injuries were able to take respite on the sideline. The borrowed, begged and to coin the term loosely ‘stolen’ players from HKU slotted in & gave the team the boost to go on and allow City to only cross the line a further two times. With a final score line of 62-0, we’re sure anyone reading this would agree, that’s quite a remarkable second half effort.

We offer our deepest congratulations to City, who managed to take out two of our more experienced players with completely torn ACLs in an earlier season match, for the development they have shown this season. It was like playing against a totally different team to the beginning of the season and we wish them all the best in the coming SF.

In what has been a season of growth for women’s rugby in Hong Kong – particularly with the establishment of the Women’s National League 1 and importantly the reemergence of the Hong Kong Cricket Club Women’s XVs team (formerly Aberdeen RFC) though we culminate the season by bowing out, if you were to see us post match, you would know we are all winners. HK-CC!