Gulf in class as Hong Kong get a taste of ‘what Test rugby is all about’ in World Cup final qualifying
- City’s 49-7 defeat by USA Eagles ‘up there as one of toughest games I’ve ever played, physically,’ admits captain Josh Hrstich
- Lewis Evans’ Hong Kong side face final game against Kenya on Friday in Dubai, having also lost to Portugal
Hong Kong were always going to struggle to beat the USA in Dubai, and even if everything had gone perfectly it would have been an uphill battle.
Unfortunately it didn’t, and Saturday’s second round of matches in the Rugby World Cup final qualifying tournament only served to highlight the gulf in class to the US and Portugal, who will battle it out for the final spot in Paris on Friday, and the rest.
But while the latter’s 85-0 battering of Kenya was a procession of tries from the first minute to the last, Gary Gold’s USA Eagles at least knew they had been in a game in their 49-7 win.
Hong Kong are a tough bunch, who do not shy away from the shuddering tackles and hard yards needed in games such as this. And while the US forward power ultimately proved too much to handle, the task was not made any easier by a misfiring line-out and individual errors.
“When you’re struggling with your set-piece, and [losing] the territory battle and possession, it’s going to be hard to get anything going,” Josh Hrstich, the Hong Kong captain, said.
