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| Picture by Richard Seow |
by Wang Shao Ing
After ruminating on their recent loss to Japan, Hong Kong’s hard-hitting open-side flanker, Royce Chan, remarked that her side committed too many to the contact area, due in no small part to the physicality of the game. "This allowed Japan to have an overlap in numbers” Chan explains.
Hong Kong has never beaten Japan in test match since both sides first locked horns in 1998. The 15-0 loss to Japan three weeks ago is as close as they have gotten and a far cry from the 78-0 pummeling in the World Cup Qualifiers in 2005. Still, Chan suggests that the Japanese squad that traveled to Hong Kong three weeks ago was probably not Japan’s strongest suit.
Singapore has never beaten Hong Kong in the fifteen a side game, but the contests have been close ones. Of the five encounters, one has been a draw and in two of the games the only thing separating the teams was a single try.
This weekend Singapore face Hong Kong on the synthetic green of the plush Hong Kong Rugby Football Club with one side attempting to write history and the other trying the right the wrongs of their latest Japanese encounter.
Since their last meeting in 2009, half of Hong Kong’s starting lineup has changed. A flow of new blood from their seven domestic sides and several young talents from the Hong Kong U18s team continually feeds the well-funded and resourced Hong Kong National Women’s XV team that often has tour calendar which fuels the envy of their Asian compatriots.
Singapore is not without fresh faces for this weekend although it remains to be seen if the team will miss the services of their stalwarts in the front row, back row and at the half back pairing. Nonetheless, the emergence of the young guns is exciting for the republic and there is no better time than Saturday to test their mettle. The team also have the benefit of having head coach Danny Tauroa, who led the Singapore men’s national team from the HSBC A5N Division One to the Premier Division in 2008, at the helm and Simon Etheredge who was with the womens sevens team at the Asian Games 2010.
“Hong Kong and Singapore is always a close game” muses Chan.
History certainly attests to the veracity of her statement and Singapore shall be hoping they pack enough punch this weekend to change the tide.
Hong Kong v Singapore XV Statistics
2006 Asian Championships, Kunming 12-0
2008 Test Match, Singapore 10 - 10
2008 Test Match, Singapore 5-0
2009 Test Match, Hong Kong 22-17
2009 WC Qualifiers, Singapore 17-3
Singapore National Women’s XV Team Against Hong Kong
Forwards: Jasmine Chan (Blacks), Chan Jiahui (Bedok), Vanessa Chang (Blacks), Chua Yini (Blacks), Sophie Ngin Gollifer (Bedok), Priscilla Humphries (Blacks), Koh Mei Giet (Bedok), Lee Yi Tian Phin (Bedok), Leung Wai Mun (Blacks), Teo Siew Huai (Blacks), Annabel Woo (Bedok), Karen Yeoh (Bedok)
Backs: Chan Jiayu (Blacks), Tabitha Fong (Blacks), Christabelle Lim (Blacks), Clarissa Lim (Blacks), Angelina Liu (Bedok), Esther Phua (Bedok), Elly Syazwani Binte Sudira (Blacks), Samantha Teo (Blacks), Wong Yilin (Blacks), Angela Zheng (Bedok),
Management: Danny Tauroa (Coach), Simon Etheredge (Asst Coach), Muhammad Zaki (Team Manager), Heng Li Hoong (Sports Trainer), Willy Koh (Sports Trainer)
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