Tag: University

Gai Wu Beat USRC as Valley Win 50th Consecutive Game

In the Women’s Premiership Gai Wu Falcons battled to 22-8 win over USRC Tigers, while Valley Black held off HKFC Ice 27-17 to win their 50th consecutive game!

The Women’s Premiership Development league saw wins for the two form teams as Tai Po Dragons beat CWB Phoenix 22-5, and Kowloon Ladies overcame City Sparkle 20-0.

After a 17-17 draw with Gai Wu last time out and looking to go one step further, Tigers made an assured start with a period of controlled rugby including a 10th-minute attack that saw the ball passed smartly along their backline to reach Natasha Olson-Thorne, who slipped two defenders to go over. Off the restart, a penalty 15 metres from the posts was well-kicked by Charlotte Myrans, to give the Tigers an 8-0 lead.

Gai Wu improved as the half wore on, pressing USRC back and securing turnovers and penalties from which teenager Chui Kam Chi and veteran Man Po Kei collected tries as a perhaps over-confident Tigers side forwent their successful kicking tactics and attempted to play their way out of trouble.

Just before the break, winger Chong Ka Yan scored a third, for a 15-8 Gai Wu half-time lead, finding space on the left out of broken play.

In the second period, the two sides were more matched as attacks at both ends were defended firmly, or lost through errors. However one multi-phase effort by Gai Wu bore fruit when Lee Tsz Ting put Greer Muir through a gap in the Tigers line to score close to the posts, converted by Lee Tsz Ching.

Gai Wu coach Lai Yiu Pang felt he had correctly called the game. “I said that the team that made the fewest mistakes would win. We were that team, and I think this was our best performance of the whole season. We have quite a few of our more experienced players away, and so put out a young team. Our back line especially are all around 20-21, except for Candy [Cheng Tsz Ting], who marshalled them expertly, and our back three did a great job handling incoming long kicks that we could then turn to attacks,” he said.

“In the second half we made good chances, and although we let them run to our 22, we defended well and I was pleased with that,” added Lai.

Tigers coach Fan Shun Kei also took a lot of positives from the game. “We played strongly for the first 20 minutes but later in the half got pegged and then made a few mistakes, which Gai Wu capitalised on. Our players got a bit overexcited with the early success and wanted to play the ball instead of kicking out,” said Fan.

“In the second half we were a lot more disciplined, and if we had taken any of four good chances could have been pushing for the win. Gai Wu’s lineout was not great and we stole a few balls, but made too many execution mistakes,” Fan continued.

“Overall, I see big progress from last year. Then, our games against Gai Wu were one-way traffic, but this year we have a draw and a close game. We’ve added a few elements to the team. Now we just need to take our attitude up a level. We’ve got a lot of positives but we still need to improve ourselves,” concluded Fan.

In the other Premiership game, Valley Black notched their 50th consecutive win, a remarkable achievement, over three seasons. Valley scored two early tries but failed to press home their advantage and allowed Football Club to reply with three of their own, including either side of half-time, to ensure a fiercely competitive second half.

In the Women’s National League 1, USRC Tigers 2 had to be content with a two-week hold on the NL 1 Challenge Shield as they were beaten 42-10 by Revolution SRC, who face HKCC Ladies in two weeks’ time.

In the Women’s NL 2 CWB Lammergeier held onto National League 2 Challenge Shield for a third week with a 56-0 win over University RFC Ladies.

Additional reporting and images: hkru

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 2 December, 2017

Valley Black 21-14 Gai Wu Falcons @ KG V – 25 November, 2016

The Women’s Premiership is split into two four-team leagues for the second half of the season, league champions Valley Black had to work hard to overcome their perennial challengers Gai Wu Falcons, 21-14.

USRC Tigers secured top spot in the new mini Women’s Premiership with a 48-5 victory over HKFC Ice. Kowloon Ladies maintained their recent strong form, and head up the new Women’s Premiership Development after a 41-15 win over SCAA Causeway Bay. While Tai Po Dragons  took out their game against City Sparkle, 15-5.

The absence of key players on both sides offered a chance for depth and team character to shine. Valley began with an impressive display of consistency and pressure as they camped on Falcons’ 22 through much of the first half, winning scrums and turnovers to keep the ball and control the game. As in their previous encounter this season, it was player-coach Bella Milo who scored the first try, seizing on a kick through to put down on the left-hand side after 15 minutes. Zoe Smith’s successful converted from close to the sideline 7-0.

Gai Wu’s recently signed New Zealander Greer Muir broke through the Valley siege for the Falcons first score, fending off a number of defenders on a 70-metre run to the line, to set up a score-leveling conversion by Lee Tsz Ting, 7-7.

Valley’s pressure secured a second try on the half-hour when a cross-field kick from teenager Kelsie Boutle was deftly kept from going out of play by Stefanie Cuvelier, allowing Jade Birkby to pick up and go over. 12-7 scoreline was how it stood at half time.

Gai Wu started the second half on the attack controlling the pace of the game for long periods. But a series of unforced errors meant that multiple solid approaches to the Valley line ended pointless.

At the other end, a resolute Gai Wu defence successfully defended its line but was undone on 53 minutes when a Valley penalty 30 metres out was impressively converted by Smith to post the first points of the half.

Ten minutes later, Gai Wu’s fightback bore fruit as Pun Wai Yan managed to break the Valley line and elegantly shimmy her way through to score just left of the posts. With Lee’s conversion, it was a one-point game – 15-14.

Gai Wu’s chance of victory ended in the closing minutes when Valley opted to kick for goal from two further penalties, which Smith converted.

Milo was pleased with her team’s first-half performance but saw the weaknesses that allowed Gai Wu to come on strong in the second half.

“We started well, unlike last game. We kept hold of the ball and didn’t make too many mistakes, and that enabled us to maintain the pressure. Once again, our front five put their hands up and showed their commitment to the team. But we didn’t hunt at the breakdown enough, leaving Gai Wu space to play a lot of fast ball that we couldn’t defend. Then our own line speed was not good enough, which allowed them to press us,” she said.

Milo highlighted the way the team reacted when the game was in danger of slipping away. “Obviously it was a tight game. Their defensive policy was good and that forced us to adjust the way we played. We had to be a little bit smarter, taking the points when there was an opportunity,” she explained.

Milo had lavish praise for her kicker Smith and was also pleased with debutant starter and scorer Birkby. “Zoe was on point tonight with her kicking, just when we needed it, and I thought Jade carried well and chased well throughout the game, as well as taking the try,” she said.

For Gai Wu coach Lai Yiu Pang, giving Valley their toughest game of the season was not enough. “In the second half, we had momentum but made silly mistakes and couldn’t capitalise on it. We controlled the rhythm but our execution was poor, making unforced errors in the final third,” he said.

“If we set a higher standard for ourselves we could definitely have won this game. It’s down to us how much we want to win. It’s the same against Tigers and Football Club – when we really want it, we can beat them, but if we’re not all there, they will take us down.”

Lai credited his bench players with making the game as tight as it was. “Pun Wai Yan and Lam Ka Wai both did well when they came on for the second half. They were determined and provided the impact we needed. But we can’t rely on just them. Everyone has to show that same spirit,” he said.

Ultimately, Lai rued the penalties given away, without which his team might have secured Valley’s first defeat in three seasons. “They deserved the win because they capitalised on our mistakes,” he concluded.

Valley Black
Wing Yan Leung, Li Lai Mang, Becky, Jasmine Cheung, Ching To Cheng, Deena Ravi Thinakaran, Caitlin Spencer, Riva Brill, Bella Milo, Colleen Tjosvold, Kelsie Bouttle, Tanya Young, Jade Birkby, Jessica Eden, Stephanie Cuvelier, Zoë Smith
Reserve: Akanisi Au Yeung, Wing Suet Rachael Wong, Adrienne Davis, Amelie Seure, Laurel Chor, Nadia Cuvilier, Shan Shan Sandra Pong
Try: Bella Milo, Jade Birkby
Conversion: Zoe Smith
Penalty: Zoe Smith (3)

Gai Wu Falcons
Cherry Ng Ki Sum Ball, Hoi Lam Ho, Nga Wun Lau, Sharon Shin Yuen Tsang, Yee Ching Chan, Yuen Yan Man, Hiu Ki Yip, Ka Yan Chan, Suet Ying Wong, Tsz Ting Lee, Kayan Chong, Greer Muir, Tsz Ting Cheng, Kam Chi Chui, Abigail Chan
Reserve: Hoi Ying Ku, Ka Wai Lam, Debby, Wai Yan Pun, Lum Ching, Tsz Yung Ching, Wai Sum Sham, Wing See Chiu
Try: Greer Muir, Pun Wai Yan
Conversion: Lee Tsz Ting (2)

Additional reporting and image: hkru

Women’s Premiership Returns in New Format

Women’s rugby returns after a short break in what the HKRU describes as ‘innovative new format’ of a four-team Premiership and a four-team Premiership Development league.

Sticking four capable teams in a league labelled ‘development’ is insulting to the teams and players. Several members of those teams are HK internationals – hardly development players! Ignoring Valley and Gai Wu, there was little between the other 6 teams over the first part of the season – although the Sparkle did struggle to score.

Splitting the league into two parts likely will mean the gap between the ‘mini leagues’ will increase as playing against better players forces/encourages people to raise their game and improve their skill and game awareness. Players also learn from playing better teams, as the national team demonstrated against top quality opposition at the recent World Cup.

This weekend’s matches are a repeat Super Saturday Deux two weeks ago Valley against Gai Wu Falcons (16.30, KGV),  USRC Tigers take on HKFC Ice, (17:30, HKIED),  Tai Po Dragons verses City Sparkle (15.00, Tai Hang Tung) and CWB Phoenix face Kowloon (SKP, 18.00).

As ever, Valley coach Bella Milo sees room to strengthen her side’s performance in last game’s 32-5 win against Gai Wu.

“We were overcommitting at the breakdown, so we’ll keep more players on their feet and ready to execute. We didn’t finish as well as we should have – there were a couple of tries we left on the field in the second half. I want to see better line speed this week,’ she reels off.

But Milo has respect for the opposition.

“It’s never an easy game against Gai Wu. Last week was closer than the score suggests – for instance, if Greer had got her runaway [almost crossing after a dash from the centre], they could have picked up momentum and taken a hold on the game. So we aren’t taking anything for granted,” she said.

“I think it’s the first time Valley and Gai Wu play back-to-back games, and it’s going to be about the team that turns up, mentally and physically. The side that can back themselves mentally can take it.”

Milo is already responding to the demands of the new league arrangement and intends to bring on her bench earlier, to spread the load and build the depth of her squad. She also has to contend with the absence of Black Fern World Cup champion Aroha Savage and a bench start for core national player Amelie Seure, just back in town.

“We’ll bring the reserves on earlier, to give them more game time. With some players away and [second side] Valley Reds not playing, it’s a good opportunity for our depth to come on,” she said.

Gai Wu’s Lai Yiu Pang has also made adjustments, going into this second contest with Valley.

“My message to the girls is to attack more. We created opportunities, especially in the first 50 minutes, but weren’t smart enough to take them. Players weren’t spotting the attacking chances,” urges Lai.

“The whole team has to keep focus from 50 to 80 minutes, not play for half the game and then drop off.”

“Our scrum didn’t function as well as it should have. Improvement there will provide the foundation and encouragement for the team to play wider,” he observes.

Lai acknowledges the impact of Greer Muir – one of a string of Antipodean signings by Women’s Premiership clubs this season – but says the other 14 players have to share that workload.

“She has vision that we lack, and I want her to be more vocal and use her experience to help BB [Lee Tsz Ting ] organise the forwards, particularly,” he said.

Lai believes his team have the playing skills for this level, but have to build their game awareness.

“The team are doing their jobs, in general, but we need our decision makers to get the vision right, to recognise how to play opportunities more effectively. They have to read the game and take responsibility. They especially need to be aware faster of what’s coming next, getting the forwards in position, and everyone on the same page,” he said.

Lai will try some younger players at 9 and 10. Wong Suet Ying will start if she is fit, after taking a knock during a National Team Junior Development Programme session during the week.

Chow Mei Nan is unavailable for the rest of the season, with a pre-arranged commitment. Christy Cheng and Melody Li will only return from injury after New Year, and this week Lai is also missing another national team player, Lee Ka Shun. However, other injured players all return this week, giving him some options.

Two new trophies are being contested for the second time. In Round 7 of Women’s NL 1, the National League 1 Challenge Shield is on the line as holders USRC Tigers 2 meet Tai Po Dragons 2 (King’s Park, 19.30). In Women’s NL 2, it’s CWB Lammergeier defending the National League 2 Challenge Shield against HKFC Fire at So Kon Po at 16:30.

Additional reporting and images: hkru

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 25 November, 2017

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 11 November, 2017

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 4 November, 2017

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 28 October, 2017