World Rugby U20 Trophy: Hong Kong end tournament on a high despite loss to USA in seventh-place play-off
- City’s young squad score three tries in closing stages of 47-22 defeat in Nairobi
- Battling display forces Americans to change front row with less than 30 minutes gone
A hat-trick of tries from back-rower Hayden McKay and a brace from winger Aaron Faison – on his first start – eased USA to a comfortable 47-22 win over Hong Kong in the opening game of the final day at the U20 Trophy in Kenya.
An early try from scrum-half Solomon Williams, who took an inside ball from Rand Santos, sent the Americans off on a perfect start en route to a seventh-place finish.
And Faison’s first minutes later, the ball shipped crisply and accurately wide to him, hinted it would be a long day at the office for Hong Kong at the Nyayo Stadium.
But the city’s pack had other ideas, and took on USA up front to such an extent it prompted tactical personnel changes on both sides of the US front row with less than 30 minutes gone.
Bringing on replacement props John Wilson and Connor Devos steadied the scrum, but not before hooker Dewi Simons had scored to reduce the deficit to 14-5.
The try came from a well-worked training ground five-metre line-out move down the short side that allowed Simons to power over in the corner, and was no less than Hong Kong deserved as they enjoyed more than their fair share of territory and possession.
