HKCC claim first win of the season
The Old Mutual International Men’s Premiership clubs picked up where they left off with another weekend of exciting close-run affairs.
Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC claimed the Broony Quaich off of Natixis HKFC with an important 27-19 away win at Sports Road, while Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers edged Kowloon, 13-10. SocieteGenerale Valley sprung the biggest margin this week with a 22-7 win over Bloomberg HK Scottish.
The Cricketers turned the league table on its head, claiming their first win of the season and handing Football Club its first loss, with what could prove a momentum-shifting win for the side under new coach Brett Wilkinson.
HKCC came charging out of the blocks with the forward pack putting the hosts under severe pressure from the start with an early wave of attacks putting prop Fai Mika across for a try in the tenth minute, with scrumhalf Jack Metters slotting the extras.
The two sides exchanged penalties for the rest of the half with HKFC fullback Glyn Hughes, one of the premier goal kickers in a league full of strong boots, putting his side’s first points on the board with a penalty in the 17th minute. Metters replied three minutes later to regain the lead 10-3.
Hughes narrowly missed on a 52-metre attempt,but was successful with his second penaltyat the 30-minute marker, capping a great break from Ben Axten-Burrett and some precision passing from the backline which set up the chip shot and closed the gap to 10-6.
The HKCC onslaught continued though repeatedly forcing HKFC into errors in their own half and giving Mettersa chance to push the buffer back to seven points at 13-6. Hughes closed the lead to 13-9 with his third penalty of the afternoon shortly afterbut Mettersadded a third strike to give HKCC a 16-9 point lead at the half.
Firing on all cylinders early in the second half, HKCC forced another penalty with Metters’ conversion pushing their lead to 10 points after 44 minutes.
Flanker Matt Lamming further boosted the rampaging Cricketers after intercepting a pass on his own 22-metre line to charge 50 metresupfield before cut down by a trysaving tackle from Nathan De Thierry.
The onrushing support kept HKFC on its heels and four phases later Seb Brien, the hero of the recent Rugby World Cup Sevens qualification campaign, smashed over De Thierry to score.
De Thierry helped lead a Football Club fight back in the final 20minutes with a great solo try in the 59th minute, finishing off a half-break from scrumhalf Henry Poon before stepping several HKCC defenders to cross the whitewash. He closed the gap further five minute later with his penalty bringing the home side to within a converted try trailing 24-19.
A renewed effort saw Football Club threatening HKCC’s line on several occasions but the Cricketers were able to extricate themselves from trouble on every occasion and even managed a final charge in the 77th minute that saw De Thierry handed a yellow card for a shoulder charge.
Metters’ conversion of the ensuring penalty gave HKCC an emotional 27-19 win and capped a performance that showed that the men from Wong Ngai Chung Gap could be gathering momentum for the remainder of the season.
In other Old Mutual Premiership action, USRC Tigers closed out a tight match over Kowloon at Kings Park after trailing 7-5 at halftime with Jamie Tsang scoring for Kowloon and fullback Michael Hanning notching the conversion.
Tigersfirst half points came from a late try through flanker Alex Woodburn,shifting momentum towards his side going into the break. USRCpicked up where they left off with another strike to start the second half as fullback Casey Stone crossing over for the try to take the 10-7 lead. Hanning drew Kowloon level with 15 minutes remaining but Tigers flyhalfRobbie Keith put them away with his first penalty in the 30th minute to claim the 13-10 win.
Valley enjoyed a convincing 22-7 win over Scottish after leading 15-0 at halftime and only allowing Scottish a consolation score in the 72nd minute.
The win puts Valley in pole position on the Premiership table with 14 points to Football Club’s 13, while Tigers have a one point edge over Scottish in third on 11 points. HKCC’s first scalp of the season lift them to joint-bottom with Kowloon on seven points.
University Wizards defend Old Mutual International Championship Cup
University Wizards successfully defended the Old Mutual International Championship Challenge Cup with a 41-33 victory over ECO Gai Wu Rebels. That matches the trophy’s opening two-week residence at SCAA First Pacific CWB Tempest. With all ofthe teams now used to the extra honour available weekly to the holders of the new trophy, RB-SRK Tin Shui Wai will have their eyes on the prize when they take on the Wizards in round five.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments