Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish saw off a physical challenge from Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers today at Shek Kip Mei, winning 31-14 to maintain their lead on the Saxo Capital Markets Premiership table and keep the Broony Quaich safe under lock and key.  

An 80th-minute drop goal by Kerry Hotel Kowloon fullback Jack Hughes broke the hearts of Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay as the hosts ran out 23-22 winners at King’s Park, while Natixis HKFC got the best of Societe Generale Valley 23-13 in today’s other Saxo Capital Markets Premiership action.

The results from the first round of 2019 kept the table intact with the bonus point win by Scottish maintaining their grip on the league lead with six games remaining. Scottish are now on 39 points, seven clear of HKFC - who gained breathing room over their closest chasers Valley on 27 points, and Tigers, in fourth place on 24 points.  Kowloon’s second win of the season pulls them within three points of fifth-ranked Sandy Bay on the log on 10 points overall.

Scottish outlasted a strong second half effort from Tigers to hold out for a key win to start the Premiership homestretch pleasing coach Craig Hammond.  

“We said we needed a win today and that was a win, as simple as that really. To finish 31-14 with the bonus point was good, but the boys were a bit disappointed in that second half. You can’t fault the effort, both teams in that last 20 were out on their feet in the first game back after Christmas and with the air quality being what it was today.”

Hammond was referencing both the poor air pollution conditions that marred Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong and a strong first 20 minutes from his side, which scored two first quarter tries and an opening penalty from fly-half Gregor McNeish, who was a perfect four-for-four off the tee, to build a 17-0 advantage.

McNeish slotted his first points from a fourth minute penalty, before tries from hooker Dayne Jans (15th minute) and fullback Sean Taylor (18th minute), pushed the lead to 17-0.

Tigers showed some rust and continued to struggle with a dearth of front row forwards as numerous unforced errors plagued the defending league champions this afternoon.  

Jans’ try came off of a Tigers miscue when Scottish flanker Nathan Tweed charged down a clearance kick at the Tigers 22-metre line.  Scottish recovered the loose ball and quickly drove to the line where Jans dove over from in close for the opening try.

Tigers continued to struggle for key patches of play and conceded a second try moments later after one of several rumbling runs from Scottish wing Connor Hartley, who plagued the Tigers with some huge metre-eating carries in the first half.

Taylor was well placed to capitalise on the aftermath of Hartley’s charge, finding space amongst the Tigers scrambling patchwork defence for the try, pushing Scottish’s lead to 17-0 after McNeish’s conversion.

Tigers replied well and showed the rugby they are capable of playing with a nicely executed try off of an attacking lineout on the Scottish five-metre line.  The towering locking duo of Jamie Chipman and Craig Lodge corralled the ball cleanly for Tigers and flanker Alex Woodburn controlled the pill nicely at the back of the maul to finish a textbook strike for Tigers.  Fullback Robbie Keith’s conversion was successful as Tigers closed the gap to 17-7 late in the first half.

Always a tough out at home, Scottish replied equally well, with a morale sapping try on 40 minutes as they worked the ball right back to the Tigers try-line off of the re-start. Good close-in defence by Tigers held off the Scottish pack for numerous phases before scrumhalf Mark Coebergh spotted another Hong Kong U20 alumnus in Ale Nardoni waiting wide on the wing.

Coebergh’s looping pass was perfectly timed but Nardoni still had work to do, neatly stepping inside the defence to score. McNeish’s conversion was good as Scottish took a 21-7 lead at half.

A sharper Tigers outfit staunched the bleeding for most of the second half with neither side able to breach the line until the final five minutes.  Scottish ultimately struck first, scoring the bonus point try in the 77th minute through wing Matt McPhillips, who again scored from a long developing Scottish counter-attack; McNeish’s conversion brought Scottish to 31 points.  

Tigers made it respectable late when they camped out in the Scottish red zone, retaining possession over numerous phases before scoring in the 79th minute. Zac Hrstich was the beneficiary of some good interplay amongst the Tigers with a bit of razzle-dazzle created by two of the club’s Hong Kong sevens teammates, Cado Lee and Chris Maize.  They linked well after coming on late and helped break down the Scottish defence for the first time with Hrstich finishing the attack well. Keith’s conversion was on target but the points came too late as Scottish patiently waited out the clock for the 31-14 win.

Tigers captain Josh Hrstich chalked up his side’s performance to a bit of holiday rust, as well as continued unavailability in the front row, which once again saw Tigers props Dan Barlow, Jamie Featherstone and Jun Sing Lee pressed into extended action.  Returning from an injury-enforced absence himself today, Hrstich remains confident that his side are well placed for the final push.

“We’re still light in the front row with a couple of props ruled out for the season and that has given us a bit of a shake-up; I also had a couple of knocks before the end of the year and am starting to ease my way back into it with 40 minutes today, but it was a good hard game and a tasty one to come back to after Christmas.

“There was a bit of rust out there for us, but there is also a lot we can take from this game and still a lot of time between now and the play-offs for us to work on some of our problems. They are all easily fixable, which is good.”