With just four more rounds in the HKRU KPMG Women’s Premiership, the symmetry of this season’s fixture list has served up a scintillating run-in for teams all over the table.

On Saturday, CPM Gai Wu Falcons play Comvita City Sparkle (k-o 16.30, Happy Valley 8), with a good opportunity to improve their position at the top. That would leave Valley, on a bye this round, with a touch of pressure to make their (then) two games in hand count. Looking ahead, the season-ending game between the two current leaders is likely to be vital to Falcons’ claim, with points difference perhaps playing a crucial role, either way – making the intervening matches all-important for both teams.

Meanwhile Natixis HKFC Ice and Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers are set for a fascinating ding-dong battle over the remainder of the Premiership season. This week they each face clubs below them – HKFC visit SCAA First Pacific CWB Phoenix (k-o 18.00), while Tigers host Kowloon Ladies (k-o 16.30). The third- and fourth-placed teams then each play Valley and Gai Wu, still looking the pair to beat, and cap the season against each other, a match that may decide who finishes third, and hence has the supposedly easier route through the Grand Championships.

There are competitive possibilities further down the table too. Facing a bye next week, Comvita City will likely need to secure their first win of their debut Premiership campaign in their closing two games, against Kowloon and Causeway Bay, to sustain their hopes of building at this level for next season, as all three teams seek to outrun their neighbours.

Despite a 79-5 drubbing by Gai Wu last outing, confidence at Causeway Bay remains high ahead of their clash with HKFC, drawing hope from a feisty and productive second-half display at the two sides’ last meeting in October, which Football Club nevertheless won, 22-14.

“I think the game this Saturday could go either way. It’s a 50-50,” said Causeway Bay coach Ocean Chow. “This game is important for us and a good chance to move toward the top four. The last time we played Football Club, in the last 15 minutes we got two tries. So we aim to keep up that performance and momentum.”

Chow acknowledges his team’s defensive errors last week, especially a reluctance to tackle low – which allowed Gai Wu players to keep moving and score points, and to deal effectively with opposition mauls. He believes that a training focus on these areas this week, combined with the pace and handling skills of his backs, will make his team a credible threat to Football Club.

That’s despite injuries to several key players, including centre Abigail Chan and fly half Ng Wing Yi. He expects to be able to give a run-out to Lam Tsz Yan, who has been playing in National League 2 and previously represented Hong Kong at handball, saying, “She is ready.”