In a rematch of the 2013 final, the Penguins again prevailed beating Samurai 5-0 to win the Hong Kong Tens with the first score of the match after a brutally draining Cup Final moved into a second period of sudden-death extra-time.
After over 30 minutes of scoreless 10-a-side action, Waikato flanker Josh Tyrell picked up a loose ball following a lineout near the Samurai line and powered over in the second five-minute period of extra-time, following two 12-minute halves where both teams cancelled each other out.
In the 2013 final Penguins won with a late end-to-end try, the historic UK-based touring club prevailed again and prolonged the heartbreak for Samurai, who have now lost in three finals in 10 appearances at the HKFC 10s.
Scott Waldrom, who was capped by the All Blacks, co-coached the third seeds with long-time Penguin playmaker Willie Walker, who moved into a coaching role after competing in last year’s HKFC 10s.
“I’m just really proud of the boys,” Waldrom said. “We went from one metre from our own goal line to come all the way down the other end to score in some pretty tough conditions. There will be some pretty tired boys out there.
“It was such a stalemate because you had two very similar teams. We both had some good front-rowers, some solid locks and some good bench, so it was much of a much and that’s probably why the game went on so long.”
Walker added: “Antonio [Kiri Kiri], our captain, came off and said that was the hardest game he had ever played, with two extra-times, and he’s probably right. We had 14 players after we lost a couple. They also lost a couple. Both teams were battling out there and it was a good, tough final.”
Antonio Kiri Kiri, a contracted New Zealand Sevens player, co-captained the Penguins with former All Blacks Sevens player Kylem O’Donnell and admitted he was physically and emotionally drained after a final that left most players on their knees.
“I’m pretty blown away. I’m a bit lost for words. It was one of those games where it was down to who would be the first to make a mistake and they lost their own line-out. I’m just happy it wasn’t us,” said Kiri Kiri, who made his Sevens World Series debut in South Africa last December.
“I’ve never played a game like that before, a double extra-time. I’m not used to that. I’m buggered. It has been a tough two days, but I’m sure I’ll find some energy later on. The co-captains and co-coaches seemed to work. Kylem’s an outstanding player and was a real leader on the pitch.”
Kiri Kiri agreed with Waldrom that the two teams were evenly matched in many ways. “The Samurai boys matched us physically and we felt it out there. We’ve sort of had our way with other teams, but with them, they gave it back. Hats off to those guys. They were pretty outstanding athletes.”
With 2015 Super Bowl champion Nate Ebner in their ranks, the fourth-seeded Samurai upset top seeds Dragons 12-0 in the semi-final, while Penguins beat YCAC 29-14, the quartet underlining their reputation as the tournament’s current ‘big four’.
Former New Zealand Sevens player Zar Lawrence led 12th seeds A-Trade Overseas Old Boys to victory in the second-tier Plate final, beating Scottish Exiles 17-10.
Fifth seeds Club Pyrenees won the Bowl in their ninth straight year at the HKFC 10s, beating Gavekal 22-5, while hosts HKFC won the Shield by beating debutants Gladiators from China 28-19.
Valley continue to reap the rewards of a long-term vision implemented when coach Chris Garvey arrived at the club following its 2012 Grand Championship. “We lost 9 players after that season and there was a lot of work to do to re-build. The next season we had 25 players competing across the 15s and 10s league. I remember one Saturday when we had back-to-back games and had to finish a 10s match with seven players on the pitch, pulling girls off so we could start a 15s game on the next pitch with 12 players.
“Gai Wu’s strengths are their set piece and overall fitness, which is slightly better than ours. They have a solid kicking game and I think they will look to play very structured rugby. But I’m confident. We don’t have to chase this game or change our style, we just need to keep calm, soak up any pressure and trust our systems. If we can restrict Gai Wu to two or three phases, we’re in with a chance, but if they’re still in it with ten minutes remaining anything can happen.”
