The eagerly awaited first meeting between two of Hong Kong Women’s Rugby’s most historic sides highlights this weekend’s HKRU KPMG Women’s Premiership action as Valley and Gai Wu face off at Kings Park (16.30).

Other Premiership action sees Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers host Natixis HKFC Ice (18.00) and Comvita City Sparkle take on SCAA First Pacific Causeway Bay (15.00). The Premiership clashes will be the highlight of a day-long festival of KPMG Women’s league rugby, all taking place at Kings Park this weekend with games starting at 13.30.

It will be the first meeting for Valley and Gai Wu since a thrilling Grand Championship final last March. That match represented the third successive Grand Final between the two clubs, while at least one of the teams has featured in the last six Grand Finals running – confirming the heavyweight status of tomorrow’s bout at Kings Park.

Last season’s showcase final was a thrilling affair that has whet expectations for the first meeting of the year. Valley scored in the dying seconds of the final to claim a 12-10 win – with Olivia Coady making both of Valley’s tries in the second half to pace her side to the win. The come-from-behind win extended Valley’s winning streak into a third straight year of competition.

Both sides enter tomorrow’s match in fine form with perfect records and rosters laden with Hong Kong representatives. Gai Wu and Valley account for a total of 19 of the 31-woman training squad busy preparing for upcoming warm-up matches against Kazakhstan and the Womens’ Rugby World Cup qualifiers here in December.

Valley’s representatives include four forwards and two backs while Gai Wu boast 13 players in the training squad at present including Hong Kong captain and No.8 Chow Mei Nam. Gai Wu have seven forwards in the national training squad and six backs.

Falcons are coming off a tough 12-0 win over Tigers last weekend while Valley was inactive after their match with Natixis HKFC Ice was postponed. With the unexpected break in the action, Valley coach James Elliot ensured that his team was on hand to watch Gai Wu in action as added preparation and motivation for tomorrow’s tie.

Elliot was confident ahead of the match saying, “It’s a crunch game for sure. Both teams have a lot of balance with good backs and good forwards. A lot of the Valley and Gai Wu girls play and train together for Hong Kong, so they know exactly how each other play. I think it will come down to who wants it more on the day.”

Valley will be without winger Laurel Chor who is unavailable due to work commitments, so Elliot has called upon a few of his side’s younger players, Kelsie Bouttle and Clare Coey, to back up the team with Coey covering for Chor out wide.

Elliot expects that it will all come down to defence on the day.

“The 16.30 start suits both sides. Both teams have speed and that gets more opportunity in an afternoon game so I expect some good running rugby, and some good contact too. We’ve got some muscle up front, and Gai Wu have ability there too. They are fit all over the park, so our defence has to be rock solid,” Eliott added.

“The break last week gave our Hong Kong players a bit of time to recover, especially for those that had trained with Hong Kong the day before, so I’m not worried about missing that game last week in terms of how sharp we will be. Hopefully we can spring a few surprises on Saturday,” Elliot added.

Falcons meanwhile have gotten their most dangerous weapon back with the return of Aggie Poon Pak-yan from injury last week. Hong Kong rugby fans are well aware of Poon’s class and Elliot is no different.

“We’re pleased that Aggie Poon will be out there. She is one of Hong Kong’s top players so you always want to see them healthy and on the pitch. With her in the side, we know we are playing their best team which fires us up,” said Elliot.

Valley enter the match with confidence but are also well aware of where they are in the season and their wider objectives.

“We’re looking forward to the game. Personally, I expect to win but it’s still early in the Premiership. We are still trying new things and looking to be a bit more creative, but we’re ready to grind out a win in the Valley fashion if we have to; but it’s a nice expansive pitch and I expect a good open game.”

Elliot is also comfortable with his side wearing the mantle of favourites. “It’s not a burden. We just have to back up our reputation on Saturday,” Elliot added.

Gai Wu Falcons coach Lai Yiu-pang wouldn’t be drawn on the revenge angle, saying, “We don’t see it that way. We take every game and opponent as they come and treat each one with the same seriousness.

“Having said that, we know that Valley are one of the strongest teams in the competition. This match is hugely important to us because our goal is the league crown and Grand Championship. Valley scouted our games over the last two weeks, so I think they are under more pressure than us, as they want to maintain their winning streak,” added Lai.

Lai is under no illusions that a complete game will be necessary on Saturday.

“It will start with our defence. We were really good defensively last week against Tigers and if we can maintain that then I think we can put pressure on them. We have to secure the breakdown first and foremost, and then try to build attacking momentum from there.

“We are expecting a physical game because they have some strong bodies and a few very experienced individuals. Our backline will need to put in an improved performance on attack. They need more confidence given that most of them are sevens players and need time to adapt to the fifteens play a bit.”

Lai will be able to call upon Poon for a second time this season after her debut last weekend. “Aggie is fit and ready for Saturday,” said Lai, who will still miss some of his key cogs up front with Lee Ka Suen given a rest due to a recent illness and the fact that she has been training with the Hong Kong squad this week.

“Lee was ill last week and we are concerned with her conditioning. It’s safer to give her a rest to help her recover, but luckily our front row has stayed healthy. They will have to have another key performance this weekend. We have promoted a few forwards from the second team to give us more options and bench depth and it is one of our goals for the season to get them more experience,” Lai concluded.

While all eyes will be on the top-of-the-table clash, the match between Tigers and HKFC will also impact the league standings with both sides entering the game level on 15 points, although HKFC have a game in hand on Tigers. Tigers’ two losses have come against Valley and Gai Wu in back-to-back weeks with HKFC yet to face Valley this season. City will look to take capitalize on its game against Causeway Bay – just one spot ahead of them on the league table – as they hunt for their first win in their debut Premiership season.

With all of the KPMG league matches at Kings Park, Saturday will offer an opportunity to supporters to catch up with the action in the KPMG National Leagues 1 and 2. Highlight National League matches see Transact24 Tai Po Dragons take on Tigers in what is expected to be a very tight encounter. Tai Po, who dropped from the Premiership this season, are at the top of the NL1 table with a perfect four-win, no-loss record this season. Tigers are in fourth place with a game in hand on Tai Po. Seventh-ranked Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC will look to claim their first win of the season against fellow foot-of-the-table side Revolution SRC, who are in sixth place with one win so far. The National League 2 match between Kowloon and Comvita City’s second teams will offer a compelling preview of some emerging Women’s players as both teams feature a large number of players from the most recent Hong Kong Rugby Union Summer Rugby course.