Transact 24 Tai Po Dragons will host Natixis HKFC Ice in the KPMG Women’s Premiership Game of the Week (tomorrow at 13.30).  The two sides are amongst the top contenders, along with SCAA First Pacific Causeway Bay Phoenix, for the Premiership A title after the Premiership split into two four-team leagues after Christmas.

In other Premiership action, Phoenix will play Plastic Free Seas City Sparkle also at 15.00, followed by the sole Top 4 tie between Kerry Hotel Kowloon and Societe Generale Valley (16.30).  All games are at King’s Park.

HKFC started its Premiership A campaign with a promising 36-0 shutout of Plastic Free Seas City Sparkle, while Tai Po fell to Phoenix in a 12-10 thriller last weekend. While a Premiership A title would add gloss to the disappointment of relegation for first-year HKFC coach Wesley Feausi a title is only an external sign of the progress happening at Club during a season where his team has yet to reach its full potential.

“Our performance in the first half of the season was disappointing. It seemed to take the girls that first half of the year to buy into what we are trying to achieve, which is as much about changing the mind-set and culture at the club, as it is about improving our performance.

 “I think the girls are slowly turning that corner now. The young players are starting to be more vocal and there is more of a collective approach in training. The girls now understand that there are no easy games in the Premiership, whether it is the Top 4 or the A grade.”

Feausi notes some of the positives that have been instituted this season, including a focus on the basics that encompasses both rugby skills training and the building blocks of a working club culture in terms of ensuring all players are in correct kit and communicating about their availability.  He has also instituted changes in the Club’s training regimen, which are helping to build a team-wide belief across both Ice and HKFC’s NL2 entry, Fire.

“I think it took them awhile to figure out that I’m here to coach and not just administer the section. That is understood now and we have been making changes. We have two teams and used to split the squads in training, but now we train together. We have four really strong coaches who are all now working together and coaching each other as well.

“Breakthroughs have been made, but it will take some time to see the effects,” he added.

Feausi knows that the challenge has not gotten easier despite being relegated to Premiership A.

“The league has improved so much. What used to be a two-horse race with Valley and Gai Wu is now a legitimate three-way tussle with Tigers being the in-form team in the Top 4. If you look at the split in the league, legitimately seven of the eight teams could have reached the top grade.”

Feausi is also well aware that Club are facing one of the other rising stars in the league in Dragons:  “Tai Po have come on strong and [coach Tsang] Hing-hung has done a great job with them. They have a really good pick-and-go game and a very strong midfield. We’re expecting a tough challenge,” he noted.

To counter, Feausi wants more of his charges to get a touch of the ball and for his younger players to continue to step up into leadership roles. The addition of Scotland Sevens’ try-scoring phenomenon Elizabeth Musgrove has been both help and hindrance for Club this season, said Feausi.

“She is a phenomenal athlete and her ability to pick a line is uncanny, but I think that has resulted in too much emphasis on getting her the ball in games. Everyone has been kind of standing back and waiting for her to do her thing.”

To support this goal, Feausi will move Musgrove to fullback for the clash with Dragons.

“From 15, she can have a bit more control over where and when she enters the line. This will force a bit more linkage between her and the rest of the backline. We want to play as a team and work the ball into position and create a platform where any of our backs can score tries.”

An improved outing against the Dragons on Saturday will go a long way towards helping HKFC to the KPMG Premiership A title and further cement the new culture developing at Sports Road.