Tag: Cook Islands rugby

Cook Islands 3-26 Hong Kong @ Rarotonga

In the first ever test match between the two teams, Hong Kong claimed the upper hand in their Rugby world Cup 2019 qualification battle with the Cook Islands after a comprehensive 26-3 win in the home and away play-off.

Hong Kong ranked 21st in the world held the 54th ranked Cook Islands try-less in Rarotonga, allowing the hosts just a single first-half penalty as they took a big step towards November’s repechage tournament in France.

“It was a tough game and that was a hell of a win,” said a delighted Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones after the match. “I don’t get overly excited about things, but I think it was a historic day for Hong Kong. Cook Islands brought everyone back and they have some top quality players in that side but our performance was just outstanding.”

“Ahead of the game, we talked about every point being precious, whether we are giving them away or getting them; so that [holding Cook Islands to a single penalty] was a great credit to the boys. They wanted to keep the clean sheet and they did.” Jones added.

Canada have booked their place in the final four repechage already while Samoa have opened a big lead on Germany in another bracket. The winner of Hong Kong versus Cook Islands will join them and the winners of the Africa qualification campaign next November.

Hong Kong shrugged off the 25-hour travel to the islands as they stormed deep into Cook Islands territory from the kick-off to set up their first try. No. 8 Thomas Lamboley crossed the line in the third minute after a series of well-executed attacking phases on the hosts try line.

Flyhalf Matt Rosslee missed the conversion attempt, he missed all four of Hong Kong’s conversions, but was more accurate on his penalty attempts, slotting tough chances on either side of half time.

Hong Kong extended their lead in the 12th minute when Jack Neville took a sneaky reverse pass from centre Lex Kalecka. Cutting against the defence Neville’s run and pass put scrumhalf Liam Slatem clear in the corner, 10-0.

The Cook Islands scored their only points of the game with a penalty after Nick Hewson was penalised for sealing off the tackler on the ground. Centre Greg Mullany’s kick putting the hosts on the board, 10-3 after 23 minutes.

Moments later winger Conor Hartley served a perfect pass by Slatem allowing him to stroll across the tramlines for Hong Kong’s third try and a 15-3 lead.

Rosslee closed out the first half with a successful penalty to send Hong Kong into the break up 18-3.

Throughout the first period Hong Kong regularly exploited overlaps in the Cook Islands defence, with all of their tries coming out wide, as the forwards penetrated the hosts midfield defence, luring defenders in from the flanks to create space for the backs.

The Cook Islands put in an improved showing in the second half, aided by a swirling wind that hampered Hong Kong in the final stages.

“You couldn’t see it on TV, but there was a really strong wind and that was why it looked like it was a game of two halves,” said Jones. “It was very difficult for us to get out of our half in the second half, largely because of the wind.”

Rosslee scored Hong Kong’s first points of the second half with a second penalty to push the lead to 21-3.

The visitors added a fourth try late in the game when Max Woodward, who moments earlier had accounted for a try-saving tackle, finished off some great interplay with winger Salom Yiu Kam-shing by crossing over in the left corner.

“It was a very physical game, we were expecting that. They are a big, big side and it was a very physical out there. We have a few battered and bruised, but so have they,” said Jones.

“If we are going to get to where we want to get, we have to cope with opposition and teams like that. Today’s result shows that we are progressing and are able to cope at that next level,” said Jones.

Both sides will now journey back to Hong Kong and Jones is curious to see what the opposition’s selection will look like. “It will be interesting to see what their travel party will look like and whether some of their big names travel, but it will be a similar approach for us. It’s cup rugby and we don’t need to be too flamboyant. We just need to do what it says on the tin and play good solid, percentage rugby.”

Hong Kong v Cook Islands:
James Cunningham (Captain), Daniel Barlow, Dylan Rogers, Jack Delaforce, Nicholas Hewson, Toy Fenn, Thomas Lamboley, Liam Slatem, Matthew Rosslee, Yiu Kam-shing, Max Woodward, Jack Neville, Conor Hartley, Jamie Hood, Alexander Post, Adam Fullgrabe, Jack Parfitt, Michael Parfitt, Kane Boucaut, Cris Pierrepont, Jamie Lauder, Max Denmark, Benjamin Roberts, Lex Kaleca.

Additional reporting and images: HKRU

RWC Japan Qualification Attempt Continues Against Cook Islands

Hong Kong take on the Cook Islands in the second of three possible qualification phases for the Rugby World Cup with a home and away series on 30 June (away) and 7 July (Hong Kong Football Club). The winner advances to a four-team repechage tournament later this year to decide the 20th spot at Japan 2019.

The Cook Islands are ranked 54th in the world, 33 spots behind Hong Kong at 21 and national coach Leigh Jones was perhaps a touch overly dramatic when he said “Not to overplay it, but it’s probably one of the most important games in Hong Kong rugby history,” ahead of the team’s departure on Wednesday night.

Hong Kong’s undefeated run in the Asia Rugby Championship earlier this month marked a successful first step on the Road to 2019, but the second is shaping up to be more sizeable, starting with a 25-hour away trip to Raratonga, Cook Islands that includes a forced 10-hour stopover in Auckland.

“It’s an horrendous trip in many ways, but we are preparing well for it. The larger problem is the time. The Cook Islands are 18 hours behind us, so it throws our body clock off significantly,” said Jones

“You can go down early and acclimatize and get your body on Cook Islands time, but then you have to travel back to Hong Kong and play here seven days later, so there is a potential that we could be kind of undercooked on both ends in terms of our body clock.”

“Luke [Davey, Head of Performance at the HKRU’s Elite Rugby Programme] and our team have been planning meticulously for this for awhile. We will do our best to stay on Hong Kong time to make the home leg adjustment much easier, which throws up a lot of logistical issues for us, but we have overcome many of them,” Jones added.

During the 10-hour stopover in Auckland the team will have a training session at the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise.

“We must thank the Chiefs High Performance Manager Chris Tindall and Dave Galbraith, their Mental Skills and Leadership Coach, for their support. The Chiefs have been magnificent in arranging things on that end to make that 10 hours as palatable as possible,” Jones added.

The match kick-offs at 3pm local time, which is 9am Hong Kong time.

“We have changed our programme over the last three weeks. We have been getting up progressively earlier, so the guys were at Football Club at 7am yesterday going flat out to ensure their bodies are okay and adjusted for what is effectively a 9am kick-off,” Jones noted.

Jones is pleased with the squad’s preparations so far. “The players are ready to go. I am glad the game is this weekend, another week and the frustration may have started building, but the timing has been pretty good for us. We had a week to rest after the ARC and then two to three weeks to train and maintain intensity. We are in a good space.”

With some players under slight injury clouds and considering the lengthy travel, Jones has opted to be safe rather than sorry in taking 25 players in the travel squad with 23 set for the final selection.

The squad includes former Under 20s star hooker Alexander Post, who was capped for Hong Kong in last year’s tour to Kenya.  Post will add cover for Ben Roberts, who picked up a niggling rib injury against Korea in the final match of the Asian championship.

“We’ve probably got eight to 10 injuries, but the guys really stepped up during the ARC and proved that they’re of the quality we need. That speaks well for the programme and our approach.”

Cook Islands had a circuitous route of their own to reach this stage. They lost to Tahiti in the Oceania qualifier, but that result was later overturned after Tahiti were found to have fielded ineligible players. The turnover in teams has left Hong Kong in the dark somewhat about what they will face on Saturday.

“We are going into the unknown to a large extent,” admitted Jones. “We’ve done our research on their players and they have some quality. Guys playing Top 14 in France, Mitre Cup in New Zealand, guys who’ve played against the British Lions in Super Rugby, so it will be challenging, particularly at forward, but we are very aware of how tough it’s going to be.”

“It’s cup rugby and we’re away from home, so we need to be smart, our discipline needs to be really good, our set piece needs to function, and we need to be playing in the right areas.

“The series will be decided on aggregate points across the two games, so we need to be really smart in how we manage the game and manage the crowd on Saturday,” Jones emphasized.

Hong Kong Squad Against Cook Islands:
James Cunningham (Captain), Daniel Barlow, Jamie Tsang, Dylan Rogers, Jack Delaforce, Nicholas Hewson, Toy Fenn, Thomas Lamboley, Liam Slatem, Matthew Rosslee, Yiu Kam-shing, Max Woodward, Jack Neville, Conor Hartley, Jamie Hood, Alexander Post, Adam Fullgrabe, Jack Parfitt, Michael Parfitt, Kane Boucaut, Cris Pierrepont, Jamie Lauder, Max Denmark, Benjamin Roberts, Lex Kaleca.

Additional reporting and images: HKRU