A cornered Bloomberg HK Scottish will be relying on home pitch advantage at Shek Kip Mei when they take on Societe Generale Valley tomorrow at 15.00 in the Saxo Markets Premiership game of the week. With four rounds remaining, the pressure is on to finish in the final four in the league to secure a spot in the grand championship play-offs. 

After six rounds, HKFC and Valley are slowly pulling away at the top of the table, with 22 and 20 points respectively, while a dogfight is underway for third and fourth with Sandy Bay and Scottish currently holders, on 15 and 13 points respectively, while Kowloon are in fifth on 12 points.

Top ranked Natixis HKFC will look to keep their slim buffer over Valley intact when they face Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers at Kings Park at 15.00, while Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay take on Kerry Hotel Kowloon at So Kon Po at the same time in tomorrow’s other Premiership ties.

Scottish are under pressure after suffering another gutting close loss last Saturday, this time at the hands of Football Club, 28-22, at Sports Road. That extends a winless streak that dates to mid-October, with three of their last four decided by nine points, the only outlier - ominously - a 50-17 battering by Valley in early November.

Valley are starting to hit their traditional second-half straps, after beating Kowloon with a late surge that produced a 28 point explosion in the final forty minutes in a 36-14 win.

Reflecting the importance of the result, Scottish are rolling out the arsenal for the visitors with a forward pack featuring six Hong Kong internationals led by the capped front row of Fai Solomona, Dayne Jans and Jack Parfitt, with Kyle Sullivan in the second row and Kane Boucaut joining new cap Josh Dowsing in the back row.

Hong Kong’s newest fly half Gregor McNeish starts at ten, playing alongside livewire import Peter Jericevich at scrumhalf in what should be a free-wheeling partnership, with Conor Hartley, Sean Taylor and Jack Morris in the back three and Jack Wardle and Mike Green the centres pairing.

Valley counter Scottish’s up front drive with some Hong Kong props of their own in Ben Higgins and Tau Koloamatangi, flanking Hunter Prescott, with another international Grant Kemp on the bench to start. Rob Lennox, Carl Marks and Sion Bennett will provide the drive in the back with Mitchell Purvis starting at centre after fuelling the second half charge against Kowloon with a brace. He teams up with dangerous runner Penikolo Latu, with Ruan Duplooy and Paddy McDuell as the halfback combo, and Kevin Field, Andrew Farley and Whiria Meltzer in the back three.

Both sides feature some emerging talent on the benches with Liam Owens in the backs reserves for Valley while scrumhalves Mark Coebergh and James Christie back up for Scottish.

In other matches with end of season implications, third-placed Sandy Bay look to carry their momentum forward from a last second victory over Tigers into the clash with Kowloon, who, having been pushed into fifth on the table by the Bay last round, have a chance to return the favour on Saturday.