Rugby World Cup: Hong Kong coach Lewis Evans rings changes ahead of Portugal clash as final bid to qualify for Paris begins
- Evans opts for new partnership at half-back, while there are also changes on the wing and in the forwards
- Hong Kong, Portugal, Kenya and USA all fighting for the one remaining place at next year’s World Cup in Paris
If there was any doubting Hong Kong’s intent going into their first game of the Rugby World Cup repechage in Dubai on Sunday, then Lewis Evans’ team selection has dispelled them.
With the need to make a fast start against Portugal, Evans has opted for a new half-back partnership of Jamie Lauder and Gregor McNeish, while the versatile Jack Neville comes in at outside centre and Sean Taylor, who has been in fine form for HK Scottish this season at full back, starts on the left wing.
Both Neville and Taylor’s inclusion gives Hong Kong additional options in the backs, and has also allowed Evans to slot Nathan de Thierry in at 15. With Matt Worley operating on the right wing, Guy Spanton and Charles Higson-Smith have been named on the bench.
“It’s an exciting backline and I think that’s what Joe Barker [the backs coach] has managed to put together,” Evans said. “We’ll go there with a lot of attacking threats, and that’s our plan for the game.”
While McNeish, who plays his club rugby for VPC Andorra in the French Championship, has been playing well since he kicked the winning points against Korea in the summer.
According to Evans, his selection was an “easy decision in the end”. Lauder, meanwhile, gets the nod over Bryn Phillips, who is the third back among the replacements.
“Jamie [Lauder] and Bryn [Phillips] have been very competitive in that nine position, but we felt that Jamie has performed really well in training and they [Lauder and McNeish] get the nod together, so it’s quite an exciting half-back pairing.”
