Hong Kong unchanged for Kazakhstan clash as head coach Chan looks to future and Rugby World Cup qualification
- Second game between two sides will take place at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday, with home side chasing a clean sweep of series
- Royce Chan has challenged her side to find ‘another gear’ as they look to lay down a marker for next year
Hong Kong women’s coach Royce Chan Leong-sze has kept faith with the squad that beat Kazakhstan last weekend for the sides’ second meeting on Saturday.
While Chan said the starting line-up could change, depending on how players came through a final training session, she and assistants Sam Hocking and Sam Beard believed now was not the time to shake things up.
Instead, Chan challenged the group that won 31-17 at Siu Sai Wan to find another gear when the two teams clash at Hong Kong Football Club.
“It hasn’t been easy with selection,” Chan said. “We thought a lot about different formulas and players and even reviewing our aims for the campaign after game one, but we are looking for wins in our first games at home in years.
“Many of the girls who played the first match were making their debuts, others have not played fifteens in such a long time, including Natasha [co-captain Olson-Thorne], so we believe there is still more for them to show and that we can go up another gear still.”
Improving on last week’s performance is likely to be essential, given that conditions on Saturday could well favour the visitors, with a smaller ground and wet weather expected to benefit a more physical Kazakhstan side.