he KPMG Women's Premiership Development now has a clear leader after TRANSACT 24 Tai Po Dragons yesterday overcame Kowloon Ladies 22-12 at Shek Kip Mei, while SCAA First Pacific CWB Phoenix claimed third, seeing off City Sparkle 38-8. In the KPMG Women's Premiership, the two leaders secured their positions as SocieteGenerale Valley Black Ladies prevailed 30-15 after being pushed hard byBorrelli Walsh USRC Tigers,and ECO Gai Wu Falcons beat Natixis HKFC Ice 29-12.

In the contesttotop the Premiership Development, after more or less matching performances since before the season break, it was Kowloon out of the blocks ahead of Tai Po, looking shipshape and effective. On 15 minutes a forwards move was worked across the backs, then on via the forwards again, with hooker Yuk Wun Yipfinishing off under the posts and for the conversion by Ho Yee Mak.

But Tai Po were quick to reorganise and went on tospend much ofthe first 40 in Kowloon’s rear quarter, albeit against a determined defence. Just in time for the break, they levelled the scores, 7-7, taking possession in midfield and passing quickly out to the left wing for Kwong Sau Yan to go over.

Three minutes into the second half and Tai Po really got their game into gear with a wonderful solo effort by Oyinlola Kim Lee, who secured a turnover from a ruck inside her own 22 and then ran 70 metres, slicing through the Kowloon back line en route to the right-hand corner.

The rest of the half had Tai Po pressing the territorial game, through sharp kicking and close attention to Kowloon’s responding line, forcing errorsand then picking up on them.Two similar team tries won the league debutants the game and the extra point, securing the ball in the centre, working it for a couple of phases, and movingquickly to and down the right-hand channel, once in the hands of Wong Wing Ying, and then by Chui Tung Yan(17th and 34th minutes respectively).

A last-minute try from Kowloon, by Hiu Tung Chan, left the score as perhaps a fair reflection of the two performances.

Tai Po coach Tsang Hing Hung was understandably pleased with the effort but isn’t letting up in his goal of creating a team fit to compete in the top four of the Premiership.

“In the first half, our girls were not really concentrating, we allowed [Kowloon] too much space. But after we lost that first try, we reorganised and got our girls keeping pressure on them, and then we controlled the game through the rest of the half, said Tsang.

“Throughout the game our ball handling and decision-making were not so good, leaving our attack weak. But our positioning was good and that kept us in control. We played pretty well after the first try.”

For Kowloon, Jonathan Ho saw an important game slip from his hands but he had no complaints about the winners.

“We just gave them an early Christmas present today. The result was largely down to unforced errors that we made. Really we just killed ourselves,” he rued.

“Our own mistakes kept us inside our own 22, and gave too many options to Tai Po.”

While Ho puts the loss down to his own side’s errors, he concedes that Tai Po were on top of the game, and that he and his squad have work to do.

“Their defence was exceptionally good, and that allowed them to put us under pressure that we couldn’t cope with. We are underperforming as a team. We won three games in a row but losing this means we aren’t good enough. This was a lesson, and we have to go away, re-work and step up again,” he diagnoses.

In KPMG Women's National League 2, SCAA First Pacific CWB Lammergeiershowed why they head that table, retaining possession of the KPMG NL 2 Challenge Shield for a fourth time after a fulsome 59-5 win over City RFC Twinkles;they will defend it again next week against ECO Gai Wu Hawks. Revolution SRC, who last week secured ownership of the KPMG National League Challenge Shield, were on a bye but next week face Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC Ladies.