Photo credit: Hong Kong Rugby Union
After masterminding a 47-10 defeat of South Korea on June 8th, Hong Kong have high hopes of defending their Asia Rugby Championship crown.
The away victory over South Korea, who had beaten Malaysia twice prior to Saturday's game, highlights Hong Kong's potential under the guidance of head coach Andy Hall.
“It’s always nice to get a win, especially with some big shoes to fill,” Hall said.
With promising half time lead of 14-10, accompanied by a try from Conor Hartley and 3 converted penalties from Matthew Rosslee, Hong Kong's entrance in to the tournament is off to a steady start.
Bolstered by their early momentum, Dayne Jans, Harry Sayers and Paul Altier added further tries to secure their win.
“We really responded to that today, especially with that second half. Our forwards deserve a lot of credit. Our scrum was a weapon today for us against Korea, particularly early on, and that gave us a good attacking platform.” Hall said.
Ahead of Hong Kong's clash with Malaysia, Captain Liam Slater is calling for a calm and collected team performance.
“We are happy to come away with five points, but we are going to reset and do our homework," said Slater.
"We are not taking Malaysia lightly and we want to put on a good show for our fans."
Hong Kong are set to host Malaysia at the Hong Kong Football Club on June 15 at 4pm. They will also welcome South Korea to Hong Kong in the sixth and final match of the Championships.