Natixis HKFC will face off against Bloomberg HK Scottish Kukris in an massive mid-table clash in Saturday’s KPMG Premiership game of the week. 

That match with its implications is a highlight of this weekend’s penultimate ranking round of KPMG Premiership action before the competition splits into four-team major and minor Premierships.

Undefeated Societe Generale Valley are in action against First Pacific SCAA Causeway Bay at 14.00, kicking off a day of compelling women’s rugby action at Kings Park.  The Club Scottish tie follows that game at 15.30, before Gai Wu play Kerry Hotel Kowloon (17.00), and Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers finish the day against Transact24 Tai Po Dragons at 18.30

With Valley, Tigers and Gai Wu, the top three teams in the first half of the Premiership, all lining up against bottom three sides, the match between fourth placed HKFC and fifth placed Scottish has all the marbles riding on it.

Last week’s home 22-all draw with Kowloon saw a youthful Club side miss an opportunity to make space on the bottom half of the table, while Scottish in its debut Premiership hunt, notched the second win of their debut Premiership campaign last weekend, tipping old guard member Causeway Bay 12-10, to put themselves in reach of cracking the top four sides for the second half.

HKFC has amassed 12 points on the table from its 2-1-2 record, while Scottish are on eight points with a 2-3 record as the end of the tunnel comes into view.

The importance of this weekend’s result comes into even sharper focus when looking at the final round, where Club will have to face defending grand champions Tigers.  Club’s only losses of the season came in back to back defeats to Valley and Gai Wu to open the season and coach Wesley Feausi knows that his side needs maximum points from this outing.

Scottish will play bottom-ranked Tai Po Dragons next weekend to close the ranking round, with a realistic chance at improving their points total, but losing to Club would leave them just out of the Top 4.

Despite a must-win match on the cards, HK Scottish coach Wai Kei-tam insists his team is not feeling the heat.

Wai instead embraced this weekend’s challenge saying, “That’s sure to be a tough match. HKFC are always one of the top teams in the league, and this year they have some good new talent joining them plus they have good coaches in Wesley Feausi and Leon Wai.”

HK Scottish are content to play the underdog’s card to their advantage as well.

 “As we are new to the league, we just try our best in every match. I think our advantage is that we are a new team, so they may not know how we play. Football Club have a lot of talented players in the backs like Aileen Ryan and Rachel Fong and some very strong forwards, so they are at least 70/30 favourites.”

The just happy to be here approach has been what has driving the club all season long, said Wai who insists his team has no expectations about a place in the major Premiership but won’t refuse the opportunity if presented.

“We really never thought about what it would mean to make the Top 4 in our debut season. We are just focusing match by match only.

Despite that humble approach, Scottish have already taken some deeper victories from their first top-flight campaign, “The results are  quite positive, especially how we managed opening the season against three of the strongest teams, that helped us improve and adjust our play.

“The mindsert of the players has changed. At the beginning, they didn't have the confidence to play prem level, but getting our first win helped players want to improve more and set some long term targets. The biggest lesson for us that our attitude has changed.

“Before we were still hesitant. Holding back and not really getting into the rugby, but after a few matches, players realize they have to produce something extra to stay at this level,” Wai added.

That lesson will have Bloomberg HK Scottish Kukris a threat no matter which side of the Premiershp competition they end up in.