KOWLOON FACE SCOTTISH IN CRITICAL SAXO MARKETS PREMIERSHIP TIE

13日 12月 2019

Kerry Hotel Kowloon will travel up the peninsula to pitch battle with a wounded Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish at Shek Kip Mei in Saturday’s Saxo Markets Premiership game of the week at 16.30. 

 

In other Premiership action, league favourites Natixis HKFC face off with a Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay bringing a three-game winning streak to Sports Road at 16.45. Second placed Societe Generale Valley will automatically advance after Borelli Walsh USRC Tigers were unable to field sufficient numbers of qualified front rowers, conceding the walkover.

 

This weekend is the last round of Saxo Markets Premiership action for 2019 with play resuming on 11 January.  With two rounds remaining in 2020, HKFC and Valley have dominated the top spots in the campaign to date. Club lead on 27 points, with a six and one record, while Valley are nipping at their heels, with their walkover over Tigers giving them 29 points from a 6-2 record, ahead of Saturday’s matches.

 

With Sandy Bay surging into third place on 20 points, Kowloon and Scottish are battling tooth and claw for fourth in the league, the last spot in the four-team grand championships, which kick off in February.

 

Scottish are the current holders of the spot with 13 points, while Kowloon trail by a single point.  Losses for both last weekend add a sense of desperation to this game, with Scottish fighting to break a four-game losing streak, while Kowloon has lost its last two.

 

Kowloon were the latest to fall victim to Sandy Bay’s win streak, with Sandy Bay’s 38-5 win the first in their run by more than a three point margin, including a 37-34 win over Scottish last month.

 

The result has left a bad taste in the mouth of coach Scott Sneddon, who was critical of his side’s performance, and the club, who convened a player’s only meeting after training this week ahead of a gut-check game with Scottish.

 

“The way we started against Sandy Bay, it was never going to go our way. The guys just weren’t at the races and it was disappointing really, given the importance of that game. We need a reaction this weekend.

 

“We have to show some physicality now, and some want and desperation frankly, show some pride in the jersey and have players do their jobs to the best of their ability,” Sneddon said.

 

Valley handed Scottish a punishing 35-19 loss at The Rock last week, extending their win drought that dates to mid-October. The last two losses have come at the hands of the successive league leaders with a close defeat to Football Club, and a chance against Valley last week, leaving Scottish frustrated to still be circling a win.

 

“We know their threats. They are physical and have some good ball carriers and some good runners, but we have got to look at ourselves first before we consider them,” said Sneddon.

 

Kowloon will be without some of its veteran leaders in Jamie Cunningham, Jamie Tsang and Lewis Warner, but will welcome the return of Chris Kinloch in the centres.

 

“Chris should help make a difference in shoring up the midfield, which was a bit of an issue last week. We have a few lads missing but everyone is in the same boat now. We don't have big squads, so we all have to deal with that,” said Sneddon, who pointed to Scottish’s raft of Hong Kong professionals as a potential advantage on the weekend.

 

“I think Scottish are similar to us. They were competitive with Valley for 60 minutes before they got the upper hand on them. It’s hard to back up after playing a team like Valley; they are so physical and have such strength in depth that they can grind teams down a bit.

 

“Hopefully they will have a bit of a Valley hangover like we had last week, but given the number of ERP players in their squad, particularly in the forward pack with all of their Hong Kong players, they should be able to bounce back from that,” he added.

 

With uncustomary losses at home, Scottish are likely to be a cornered animal and have made their intent clear in returning the same forwards that had Scottish rampant in the first half against Valley - a group featuring six Hong Kong caps. The backline offers even more talent with fullback Sean Taylor partnering Jarrod Mongston and Pierre Mounal on the wings, while burly Conor Hartley will run in traffic against Kowloon as he covers in the centres, partnering with hard-running Mike Greene. Gregor McNeish and James Christie are the halfbacks.

 

Kowloon’s forwards will be led by new Hong Kong cap No.8 James Sawyer, with Cris Pierrepont and Sam Tsoi Kin-san joining the back three for a crucial battle with Scottish’s loose trio of No.8 Josh Dowsing and flankers Kane Boucaut and Nathan Tweedy.

 

Hong Kong prop Tom Bristow anchors the Kowloon front row with tight head Angus Williams and Tu’uta Simaile at hooker, after Jamie Tsang was side-lined by injury against Valley. David Markham and John Kenney are the locks. Bryn Phillips and Joe Barker are the halfbacks with Chris Kinlock partnering George Watkins in the centres and Thomas Bury and Huw Alexander at the wings and Ed Styles at fullback.

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