DRAGONS MEN PIPPED AT POST BY SINGAPORE SELECT

Hong Kong China Rugby’s (HKCR) men’s senior development XVs squad - the Hong Kong China Dragons – lost in the final minute, 23-21, to Singapore Select Development XV yesterday in the Lion City.

The Dragons led the match through the 78th minute but had spent much of that time producing inspired but exhausting defensive stands. That effort took its toll in the second half, as cramp and mounting penalties and yellow cards helped steer Singapore Select to the narrowest of home wins. Despite the loss the Dragons showed marked improvement after a wider margin defeat to Select a year ago in the men’s Dragons debut tour.

“Last year, the scoreline showed a relatively large gap and we did not perform to the level we were capable of; this year, we have shown clear improvement in our offensive tempo control and defensive execution, and the gap narrowed,” said Hong Kong China Dragons Programme Lead Salom Yiu Kam-shing.

“I was pleased with the players’ effort and execution, and that we have managed to close the gap in several key areas.”

From kick-off it looked as if the Dragons might win in a blow out after a frenetic opening onslaught had the hosts on the back foot and in defensive disarray. After dozens of phases in attack, an early Dragons score assumed an air of inevitability. It proved just so at 3.30 when lock Yum Ka Chun Tavon was given the ball with a half-metre of space and neatly stepped inside the post to score. Captain and flyhalf Lo Piu Yin Mervyn added the conversion to push the Dragons ahead 7-0. 

To their credit, Singapore responded well and took the game to the Dragons for the remainder of the quarter. They spent seven minutes attacking the Dragons line with only an inspired defensive effort from the visitors keeping Singapore off the board. 

Lo then conjured up a true captain’s try with an 80-metre line-break against the run of play in the 20th minute. His offload found Wu ZhuoJing, who distributed neatly to Hui Ho Yin, with the big lock crossing the line for a momentum-swinging score. Lo’s conversion brought the score to 14-0.

Singapore mounted another strong attack on the half hour marker, and this time the cost of the Dragons’ sustained defensive efforts began to show as the Select XV pack crashed over the line for their first try, trailing 14-5. Singapore added a penalty later to bring the score to 14-8 at the break.

The second half saw Singapore mount sustained pressure on the Dragons try-line for most of the final stanza. That pressure forced the Dragons into conceding two yellow cards down the stretch – and three in total in the afternoon. 

The first yellow was shown in the 49th minute, and the second came just five minutes later, leaving the Dragons at 13-against-15 men. Select made that advantage tell quickly, scoring a try out wide in the 56th minute to close the gap to a single point as they trailed 14-13.

Undeterred, the Dragons marched back up the field to reply with a magnificent short-handed try through fullback Yeung Chi Sum Samuel increasing the lead to 8 points inside the final quarter at 21-13. Even that buffer would prove too much for a young Dragons outfit to defend down the stretch. Singapore Select made its fresher legs and calmer heads tell once again in the 65th minute when they forced the Dragons into conceding a penalty for offsides, which they converted to close the gap to 21-16.  

Singapore finished the game camped on the Dragons line and eventually won an attacking scrum five metres out from the Dragons goal. With the reserves bench empty and their internal reserves also depleted, the Dragons XV could not hold on in the dying seconds and Singapore scored off of a sniping run from the base of scrum to take their first lead of the day - and win the match 23-21 after the conversion in the 79th minute. 

After the game Yiu paid tribute to his team’s obviously immense defensive effort, saying: “We improved our defensive intensity a lot. We applied better pressure on the ball and reduced their easy scoring opportunities. We were more decisive moving from defense to attack and created more fast-break opportunities and were less reliant on individual players,” said Yiu.

Discipline was the difference for Yiu, a former HKCR Hall of Fame member and one of Hong Kong’s most capped rugby athletes at both fifteens and sevens: “We conceded too many penalties and yellow cards. They handled situations a bit more calmly and showed stronger discipline. We need to work on our consistency as we had phases where our concentration dropped, allowing them to close the gap. 

“Overall, I am positive about the direction this group is heading. As long as they remain focused and disciplined, they will continue to improve,” said Yiu.

The men’s Dragons XV will return to Hong Kong with some players heading to Shandong for a further training camp and exchange programme on the mainland, while others enter summer preparations for the start of the next HKCR domestic season.

HKCR Men’s Dragons vs Singapore Rugby Men’s Development Select XV

FORWARDS: YAU Chun Ho; YAU Wing Yat; LAU Lok Kan, Roentgen; LO Ho Kwan; LO Tin Yui, Justin; SUNG Wai Shing; HUI Ho Yin; WAN Chi Ho; YUM Ka Chun; CHEN Ho Yik; FONG Wai Yin; LEUNG Chi Ho, Johnny; NG Siu Lung. BACKS: LO King Sum; NG Chun Yu; LO Pui Yin, Mervyn; CHAN Ka Fai; CHOW Lok Yin; WU Zhuojing, King; Haki William McNAB; LAM Kwan Yiu; LAU Sze Chit; YEUNG Chi Sum, Samuel. 

Team Management

Renee FUNG, Team Manager

Salom YIU Kam Shing, Program Lead

LAI Yiu Pang Sailo, Head Coach

NG Wai Keung Kenny, Assistant Coach

FUNG Kai Hang, Assistant Coach

Nelson TSANG, S&C Consultant

Hugh EVERSON, Physiotherapist

Geoff LEE, Sport Therapist