For proof that rugby is a hooligan’s game played by ladies of grace and style, flash forward a mere seven hours after Saturday’s face-off between Leighton Asia HKCC Ladies and Valley Black Ladies when the two sides met again, this time in the refined atmosphere of Lan Kwai Fong. Sworn enemies on the field danced up a storm off it, with much silky footwork on display.
In the game itself, Valley started brightly and with serious attacking intent, pinning HKCC Babes back in their own 22, and a try only averted thanks to brilliant last-ditch defending from Brenda Chan at full back. Fast line speed in defense and a couple of offside errors at the breakdown gave the Babes a chance to calm the pace and clear, and this visibly lifted confidence. Consequently, HKCC were soon two tries to the good, the account opened by number 13 Tinley Wong in a delightful break down the left, followed up almost instantly by a barnstorming 40-yard run from player-of-the-game flanker Emily Tuck. In perhaps a first for HK rugby, the two teams agreed not to kick for conversions, given the high risk of a ball being lost in the Happy Valley building works!
Valley stemmed the tide, but found it difficult to recycle their own ball, and had possession stifled by the HKCC pack, who dominated the scrum, finally bringing technique and teamwork together to capitalise on individual skills. Eva Rona in particular, at loose-head, dominated her opposite number, bringing huge pressure to bear on every Valley put-in. Credit here goes to the referee too, who took his time ensuring that both packs, relatively new and with some very inexperienced players, scrimmaged safely and effectively, and that the natural flow of the game was disrupted as little as possible. HKCC hooker, builder Cheryl Gourley, took advantage of one such ‘advantage’ play, diving over from close range towards the end of the first half.
With ten minutes gone in the second half, and the sun mercifully retreating, Valley hit back, good work from their two locks in particular being rewarded with a try in the left corner. But it wasn’t enough to break HKCC’s control of possession, and the game was settled when Serene Yee found a sublime line cutting back inside the park after unselfish and beautifully weighted passes along the whole back line to the right winger.
For HKCC Babes, this game marked the perfect prelude to the season, with parts of their game now visibly coming together, and the error count dramatically reduced on even a few weeks ago. Captain Anna Holmes said, “We’re confident in our plans, now we just have to execute them during the season as we did today. I’m very proud of the progress the whole team has made in stepping up from 10s to 15s this summer”. The first league game is 4th October versus Scottish; kick off 1800 at Kings Park.