Coach Jo Hull insists Hong Kong must beat regional champions Japan on Saturday to “prove and justify that we can be the best team in Asia” ahead of next year’s historic Women’s Rugby World Cup appearance.

Japan’s 55-0 victory over Fiji on Tuesday, after Hong Kong beat the Pacific Islanders 45-7 on Friday, saw both teams complete the line-up for next year’s showpiece event in Ireland with a game to spare in the three-team qualifier.

But after losing both games to Japan in the Asia Rugby Championship earlier this year, Hull is looking for her side to secure the win that would see Hong Kong book their place in pool C next year against hosts Ireland, France and Australia.

“When I came into the role, we wanted to be in the top one or two in Asia. Our job is to challenge Japan and we need to prove and justify that we can be the best team in Asia and to do that we need to beat Japan and then the other things will come as an outcome in terms of performing at a World Cup,” said Hull.

“They are a focused, organised Japan team, so we need to bring our game on Saturday to get that result. We want to go in ranked number one.”

The loser on Saturday at Hong Kong Football Club will be handed a pool next August containing 2014 World Cup runners-up Canada, New Zealand and Wales.

“All the pools are hard at a World Cup, but they are also a fantastically exciting opportunity,” added Hull.

“You go to a World Cup and you don’t expect an easy game. You go to a World Cup to play against world class players and we want to showcase Hong Kong against the best, and that is what we are going to have an opportunity to do.

“It is not good enough to play against a World Cup team like we played on Friday. We got the result, but I think that over the next nine months it will be about accuracy, dealing with pressure and improving in terms of our strength and conditioning.”

Japan ran in eight tries against Fiji compared to the six scored by Hong Kong, with Hull’s side out to avenge 39-3 and 30-3 losses in the Asia Rugby Championship earlier this year.

“It is great that we are going to the World Cup, but we still have to play Japan on Saturday and that is what the focus will be for this week and only afterwards we will celebrate,” said centre Natasha Olson-Thorne after watching Japan’s win over Fiji at King’s Park on Tuesday.

“Our work rate, our skills and fitness have improved a lot since the last time we played Japan, so I think we will give them a run for their money this time.

“Their tackling is really good so we need to make sure our support is there quick enough to counter that, but they made a lot of unforced errors as well, so we need to exploit those chances when they come.”

Hong Kong have introduced a number of sevens players into the squad recently, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Japan coach Goshi ARIMIZU.

“We have missed the last three World Cups and our target now is to win at the World Cup, not just in qualifying games, so we want to play a good game in the next match to help us win at the World Cup,” said Goshi ARIMIZU having guided Japan to a fourth World Cup appearance and first since 2002.

“The Hong Kong squad now has sevens players in the fifteens, so they are stronger than the previous game in May, but we want to win this game.

“In the first half against Fiji we tried to show the Japan style with a quick attack, but we made some handling errors. In the second half we made improvements, but in the next game, even under pressure, we want to have good handling and play Japan rugby.”

Hull’s side showed plenty of fight in their last matches against Japan, turning in a vastly improved performance in the away leg, before eventually being made to pay for a lacklustre final 20 minutes having trailed only 10-3 at half-time.

“Japan are pretty much what a classic Japan team is, they are accurate, they are fast, good under pressure and they are skilful. What they do very well is that each unit, each position, do their jobs very well,” said Hull, who will be making a third appearance at a World Cup following two previous outings as assistant coach and performance manager of Scotland.

“I think they can take a lot of pleasure out of their win over Fiji, but we have had a look at them and we will be focusing on our game on Saturday. For me, this is the best chance to beat them.

“Our attack against Fiji wasn’t that good. We were attacking for 28 minutes, but there were a lot of mistakes, it wasn’t as clinical as I wanted and that will be the focus for us.

“The players are not happy with just beating Fiji and going to a World Cup, we are not happy with being second in Asia. We want to be first and we are very clear in terms of that in the vision for this team.”

Hong Kong Squad, Women’s Rugby World Cup Qualifier (Dec 2016)

CHOW Mei-nam (Captain), Amelie SEURE^, CHAN Ka-yan, CHAN Leong-sze^, CHENG Ka-chi, CHEUNG Shuk-han, Christine GORDON^, LAU Nga-wun, LEE Ka-shun, Melody LI Nim-yan^, Winnie SIU Wing-ni, Karen SO Hoi-ting, WONG Yuen-shan, Adrienne GARVEY^, CHONG Ka-yan^, Colleen TJOSVOLD^, Jessica HO Wai-on, Rose HOPEWELL-FONG, LAU Sze-wa, LEE Tsz-ting^, Lindsay VARTY^, Natasha OLSON-THORNE^, YUEN Lok-yee^.

^ HKSI elite Sevens athlete