Hong Kong manhandled Malaysia with a ten-try, 67-8, rout in a wet and humid Kuala Lumpur today to clear the first hurdle on the Road to Rugby World Cup 2019.

Hong Kong mastered their opponents in the first half and the conditions in the second as the heavens opened after forty minutes, adding even more grease to a slippy ball. That didn't stop the boys in blue however, as they extended a 27-5 lead at the break into an eventual 67-8 victory in their first Asia Ruby Championship action of the season.

Malaysia, bolstered by the inclusion of several of their naturalized players from the Pacific Islands, enjoyed the better start, capitalising on a somewhat sluggish opening by their opponents with Matt Rosslee showing rare nerves with the boot early on. 

After an exchange of missed penalties from both side’s kickers it was Hong Kong’s forwards who methodically built the base for today’s success, aided in the early going by a yellow card against lock Aporosa Duwailea.

Hong Kong capitalized on the numerical advantage to run up an 8-0 lead after No.8 Thomas Lamboley corralled the ball perfectly at the base of an attacking scrum to dive over the line for the first try.  Rosslee struck his only penalty moments later to extend the margin to eight, before Malaysia returned to full strength.

Hong Kong were dominant at the scrum and the line-out, gaining significant metres off of their structured set piece play.  That dominance set up Lamboley for his second score in the 30^th minute, as he again danced the ball over the line from the base of the scrum to push the lead to 13-0.

The backs joined in the action soon after when fullback Jack Neville finished a long counter attack started by scrumhalf Liam Slatem, who opted for a quick tap and run from a penalty deep in Hong Kong’s territory.  Rosslee made sure of the conversion as Hong Kong pushed its lead to 20-0.

With the score line growing, Hong Kong’s discipline slipped marginally as they engaged in the freewheeling rugby the Malaysians were encouraging.  That led to the hosts’ first try after Hong Kong took an unnecessary quick throw-in at a line-out in their own half, eventually turning the ball over to No.8 Etonia Saukuru.  The big Fijian rumbled the ball deep before a lovely offload to fullback Samuela Taminisau - and a quick return - put Saukuru over in the corner. The missed conversion left Hong Kong leading 20-5.

Hong Kong responded clinically with Slatem again pressing home the advantage catching Malaysia sleeping with another quick, sniping run.  Slatem found Max Denmark outside and Denmark then slipped a neat offload to onrushing centre Tyler Spitz. Spitz one-handed the ball back to Slatem who finished with a 40 metre try on the stroke of half-time. Rosslee’s conversion gave Hong Kong a 27-5 lead.

Shortly after the re-start, a disastrous clearance attempt by Malaysia’s veteran captain Syahir Asraf landed right in the hands of Rosslee, who shoveled a quick outlet pass to winger Salom Yiu Kam-shing, who finished off a gift try in the 42^nd minute.  That crucial error by the captain dropped Malaysian heads even further, allowing Yiu to follow up with another straight-forward try, as he finished a pretty display of handling to cross over untouched in the corner, pushing Hong Kong’s lead to 39-5.

Prop Jamie Pincott was not to be denied moments later as the big man, who had built a head of steam in his supporting run, found himself in possession and clear space with 20 metres to the line.  His try was converted to extend the lead to 46-5, before Conor Hartley added to the damage, taking another looping Rosslee pass to the line for Hong Kong’s eighth score and a 53-5 lead after the extras.

Jack Parfitt scored a second front-rowers’ try before Robbie Keith capped Hong Kong’s scoring at ten tries.  Malaysia’s capitulation was complete late in the match when they opted for a long-range penalty, which was successful from 48 metres out, to finish the scoring at 67-8.

“We started slowly but finished strongly,” said coach Leigh Jones after the match.

“I’m reasonably happy. With conditions as they were last week we didn't know what to expect today and it was again difficult to play, but I was pleased with our strike rate. We managed to finish off a lot of tries; there were also a lot of errors that I wouldn't like to see normally, but I think many of those were down to the conditions.”

“It was a difficult game with the weather and the fact that Malaysia were looking to slow it down at every opportunity, so it was a bit of a stop-start affair. But I thought it was a very competent second half performance in particular, very professional, and we have come out of it unscathed as well. No injuries today and a few players coming back next week, so we are in a very positive place going into Korea next week,” Jones concluded.

Jones was pleased with the way his bench added value as well today.

“We thought they would add value and they did well. It is a 23-man game, I know it is a cliché, but it is right. We thought the guys would come on and make a difference and they certainly did that.

“I was particularly pleased to see young Max Denmark go. I’m very pleased with his development and it was good to get a chance to look at guys like Jamie Lauder, [who earned his first Hong Kong cap today], off the back of some great club performances this season,” Jones added.

New captain Jamie Cunningham was pleased with the result as well.

“I’m really happy with how the boys went today. We held our composure under some real pressure at the start and played some good footy. The ball got away from us at times, but we were able to come back and put some points on the board, which is what we wanted to do.”

The bonus point win lifts Hong Kong into co-equal position at the top of the table on five points, level with South Korea, whom Hong Kong will face next week in Incheon.