Hong Kong launched their bid for an automatic World Cup qualifying berth yesterday, thumping South Korea 32-8 in the opening clash of this year’s Asian Five Nations.
With a place at rugby’s showpiece in New Zealand next year on offer to the winner of this year’s elite Asian championship, the home side made a tentative start at Hong Kong Football Club.
They trailed 8-0 early in the first half after a South Korean penalty and unconverted try to Choi Si-won as the visitors dominated the opening stages, but after weathering the early pressure, Hong Kong came back strongly as the visitors tired, going into the break with a 10-8 lead after a converted try to lock Nigel Clarke and a penalty to Keith Robertson.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In the second half it was one-way traffic, as the home side made their superior fitness count and South Korea flagged in the heat.
Midway through the second half outside half Robertson wriggled through to score under the posts and there was another score for Clarke, before Tom McQueen went over for Hong Kong’s fourth.
Alex McQueen added a late penalty to set the seal on the victory.
“It was a shaky start for us, but even in the first 10 minutes they only really had our scraps, but we put ourselves under pressure. We spilt a couple of balls we shouldn’t have,” Hong Kong skipper Simon Leung said.
“I think it’s a case of belief. We stood off them in the first 10 to 15 minutes. There’s that aura around South Korea. We haven’t beaten them many times,” Coach Dai Rees said. “It was a superb all-round performance in the end and we controlled the game.”
It was sweet revenge for 39th-ranked Hong Kong, who lost 36-34 to South Korea last year despite a stirring comeback.
Kazakhstan were due to play the Arabian Gulf in Almaty, Kazakhstan, later yesterday.
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