Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) has announced the squad for tomorrow’s test match versus Kenya at the RFU of East Africa Grounds in Nairobi (9.00pm HKG time).

It will be “special day for Hong Kong Rugby” promises HKRU General Manager of Performance Rugby Dai Rees who is serving as Manager for the side on tour.

One look at the squad confirms Rees’s prognostications as the starting 23 features two certain first caps for Hong Kong with Elite Rugby Programme (ERP) representative Matthew Rosslee starting his first test match at outside centre while U20s graduate Liam Owens earns the start at fly-half.

Four other National Age Grade (NAG) players are in line for potential first caps after being named in the reserves, including hooker Alexander Post who will potentially see his first action on tour tomorrow.

Mike Parfitt – who formed a successful locking partnership with recent NAG star Fin Field in the warm-up match midweek, is also named to the bench. Field will be earning his second cap tomorrow after making his test debut in the Asia Rugby Championship in June.

U20s sevens captain and three-time Junior World Trophy representative Hugo Stiles has been named in the reserves, alongside flanker Joey Cheung Ho-yin. Cheung played his first season of Premiership rugby for Kowloon last year and has been training in the Elite Rugby Programme this summer before getting the call-up to the touring squad.

“Saturday is going to be a big moment for Hong Kong Rugby no matter the result,” says Rees. “We are on our first extended tour in four years and the high number of potential caps and National Age Grade representatives is going to make for a special occasion.”

“There are four or five Age Grade players with a chance to play for Hong Kong for the first time, but what is most exciting is that those players will join a side with several other representatives that have come through the Union’s age grade programme in recent years. All in there are 14 current or former age grade representatives in the starting 23, which is a tremendous achievement.

“Matt Rosslee will earn his first cap tomorrow after playing in the domestic league for the past three years to become eligible. In recent times, that ratio would have been swapped with six imported players to one age grade player being capped. Now that trend is being reversed. So tomorrow is going to be a tremendous day for Hong Kong Rugby, but also an important start on where we want to go in the future as we look ahead to Rugby World Cup qualification in 2019 and 2023,” Rees added.

Rosslee’s first cap marks another milestone for the selectors as he is the first ‘project’ player in the ERP to be capped for Hong Kong.

“It is a hugely exciting moment for Matt and for the coaching staff as he is the first of our ‘project’ players we have had come through the ERP to earn his cap. We included Matt into the ERP over a year ago, despite him not being eligible, in preparation for this moment so we are all excited to see his performance.

“Ben Roberts was our other project player on tour who was in line for a first cap but picked up a knock against Kenya A and is being rested tomorrow. It is a disappointment for him I’m sure but he will just have to wait a bit longer to mark that special moment,” Rees added.

Roberts and captain Nick Hewson both suffered injuries on Wednesday with Hewson recovering sufficiently from his calf strain to lead the team from flanker tomorrow.

A Hong Kong Select XV dropped the warm-up match against Kenya ‘A’ 24-18 earlier this week. 18 of the 23-man Select squad have been retained for Saturday’s test with veteran lock Adrian Griffiths and backs Tyler Spitz and Ed Rolston amongst the senior players coming in to the starting side for the test match.

Rees expects that Hong Kong will face a different squad but a similar style from Kenya: “It looks as if they have been keeping their test squad together for awhile so we don’t expect many players from their ‘A’ squad to be selected.

“In game one, we looked like what we are, a team entering our pre-season, while Kenya have played test matches within the last month or so and are now in the midst of their domestic and their sevens competitions so they will be well seasoned.

“But the style of play looks similar across Senior and A level, so we expect more of the same from Kenya. In terms of mounting counter-attacks from deep and using their pace and physicality to their advantage. It is going to be a big challenge for us.

“There was a lot of disappointment after losing the first game, but the team has climbed right back on the horse and everyone is very focused. We have been focusing on our defensive performance and have had some intense three-a-day training sessions over the past couple of days. The team has responded positively and there is a lot of excitement about tomorrow’s match amongst the squad.

Hong Kong enter the match ranked 22nd in the world two spots ahead of the hosts who will have the benefit of recently being in action in the Africa Cup, where they finished as runners-up to Namibia.

Tomorrow’s test match will be livestreamed at: http://zuku.co.ke/live.

Hong Kong SAR XV v KENYA: 1. Ben HIGGINS, 2. Jamie TSANG, 3. Jack PARFITT, 4. Adrian GRIFFITHS, 5. Fin FIELD, 6. Nick HEWSON (Captain), 7. Mathew LAMMING, 8. Dan FALVEY, 9. Adam ROLSTON, 10. Liam OWENS* 11. Charles HIGSON-SMITH, 12. Tyler SPITZ, 13. Matt ROSSLEE*, 14. Jamie ROBINSON, 15. Ed ROLSTON. Reserves: 16. Alex POST**, 17. Alex NG Wai-shing, 18 Adam FULLGRABE, 19. Mike PARFITT**, 20. Tony WONG, 21. Joey CHEUNG Ho-yin**, 22. Charles Cheung Ho-ning, 23. Hugo STILES**.

*First Hong Kong cap; ** Potential first Hong Kong cap