MATCH REPORT: HONG KONG CHINA MEN'S XVs 38-17 BRAZIL

Hong Kong China Men's XVs took their two-match Autumn International Series on points differential after a 38-17 win in the second test. The event was the first international sporting event to be held at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. 

You can watch the match here.

MATCH REPORT: HONG KONG CHINA PROVE BOUNCEBACKABILITY IN HISTORIC MATCH AT KAI TAK YOUTH SPORTS GROUND

Brazil won the opening tie of the series by 23 points to 10 at Hong Kong Football Club last week. In what was the first-ever international match to be played at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, the boys put in a terrific performance to beat the Brazilians 38-17 to not only win the second tie but claim the series.

In very wet conditions, which only got more torrential as the match went on, the pitch at the ground did its job and held up wonderfully well as the home crowd saw their side match the physicality of the visitors but also play some sublime rugby at times to nail the win.

Winning captain Joshua Hrstich said after the victory, that it was a “really tough encounter at an awesome setup in tough conditions”, adding that the “support we had was awesome and got us home.”

He added of the win, "We created chances and space, and it's a massive result for us to have two tough test matches here in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong China Men’s Head Coach Andrew Douglas was also delighted, “It’s been a great year, and we were disappointed last week, and we showed great character today. We have talked about showing our character and resolve, and I think we came through that test today against a very good Brazilian team.”

On what made the difference this week, he added, “We maintained pressure in the right parts of the field compared to last week, and we were smarter and made them kick under pressure. We released our own pressure really well too, and I thought our defence was outstanding all game.”

Home Crowd Helped “Get The Job Done”

Hrstich was very appreciative of the support, “I felt like all the noise poured in and it helped us when things got tough. The field held up really well in torrential rain with some pretty big athletes powering around on there.”

Douglas also admired the facilities. “It's a fantastic stadium and a great surface, and it’s held up well. It will be a great asset for Hong Kong China Rugby - and we hope to play all our home games here over the coming years and make it a fortress for us. The vantage points are really clear for everyone, so it's good for everyone watching at the ground.”

Another Edgy Tight First Half

The game itself saw Hong Kong China start well, winning three early lineouts as Jak Shing Lam started for the first time at hooker. The forwards carried the ball early to test out the Brazilian defence which had got on top of them last week.

One of many excellent kicks in the game saw the hosts claim a 50-22 to win vital territory (there were three such kicks in the game) and possession, and it was Lam who would go down in the record books as Hong Kong China’s first-ever try scorer at the ground, which Nathan De Thierry converted for a 7-0 lead. The flyhalf was impeccable with the boot all day.

The scrums also were tested early, but it was a much tighter contest this week. Early ill-discipline did cost Hong Kong China who gave away repeated penalties letting Brazil march upfield and release pressure.

The line speed of the boys in blue’s defence was also markedly improved as they shut down the big ball carriers. Some clever play saw a cross kick be collected by Matt Worley on the right edge, and he nearly broke free to score.

In the 24th minute, De Thierry added a penalty to extend the lead to 10-0 with Os Tupis creating few chances as their runners were being chopped down and players like flanker Pierce McKinlay-West made a real nuisance of himself in the best way and stole the ball at ruck time.

In a period that was fortuitous and against the run of general play, Brazil struck twice in quick succession with two tries, one being converted, as they led 12-10 as the half was drawing to a close.

In the 38th minute, De Thierry had the final say to restore the lead 13-12 as the hooter went for the break.

Hong Kong China Cut Free in Second Half

De Thierry added another penalty at the start of the half to lead 16-12 but Brazil had made subs in the pack and they were rewarded as they mauled over from a lineout to once again lead 17-16.

There was a period of ferocious intensity as both sides tried to establish dominance and the rain got thicker. There were plenty of half chances, but maybe too many times Hong Kong China put foot to the ball when looking more threatening with the ball in hand.

The home side won a scrum against the tighthead after they had also made substitutions, and De Thierry added a fifth successful kick to make it 19-17. The resulting restart saw a Brazilian player mistime his tackle and earn a yellow card for a late hit in the air.

In what was another excellent kick-through by De Thierry, the ball was collected by #13 Ben Axten-Burrett who offloaded to his left wing as Guy Spanton dotted down a sensational and smart try to provide some breathing space on the scoreboard as Hong Kong China led 26-17.

A 2-minute highlight reel from Luke Van Der Smit followed as he bumped would-be tacklers only to be outdone by a spin-around kick and 50-22 by Axten-Burrett. The momentum had shifted in the home team’s favour.

A Worley chip and chase nearly worked, but there was a slight knock-on to prevent a try. With 15 minutes to go, De Thierry broke through the defence and had great interplay with Axten-Burrett but it was Worley who benefited to score easily out wide, and the lead grew to 33-17.

Hong Kong China defended well as Brazil felt the scoreboard pressure and reverted to big ball carriers but they struggled to make a dent. Worley then sealed the game with a second outrageous try in the corner after an accurate kick through again from Axten-Burrett and won the match 38-17.

Player Views

Matt Worley said after the whistle, “We are very happy today. Last week we had a game plan that didn't go as well as we thought and that's the good thing about a series, as we had a week to prepare and put things in place. As a team we executed well, and the result showed that. We played in the right areas today and we gave more ball to the backs and used the big guys to carry it up the middle. The weather made it difficult today, but I think we managed it quite well.”

Jak Shing Lam was excited and added, “It feels amazing and the boys have done so well. It was a really special atmosphere this week. The intensity was high and we came in with more of an edge and we matched them physically. There was a great atmosphere, and hearing everyone cheering was awesome. To score the try was special, but I know I won't be the last player from Hong Kong China to score here. We all knew last week we could perform better and we were fizzing into this - We really wanted to win and are super happy.”

Los Tupis fullback Lucas Tranquez commented, “We have had some tough matches against Hong Kong China and we have been really happy to be here. The environment was great today, and you could hear them, which was great for the game.”

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