Hong Kong men power into semis and declare ‘we are ready’
Like the finest sword that is forged in the hottest fire, Hong Kong are honed and ready as they prepare for the final thrust to win Asian Games gold in the men’s rugby sevens competition on Thursday.
Like the finest sword that is forged in the hottest fire, Hong Kong are honed and ready as they prepare for the final thrust to win Asian Games gold in the men’s rugby sevens competition on Thursday.
Hong Kong face South Korea in the semi-finals and the furnace at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Field stadium won’t get any hotter than coming up against the host nation in front of their partisan crowd.
Get past that and Japan, who play Sri Lanka in the other semi-final, will be their likely opponents in the final.
The mood in the camp is good and we are ready. Just two games away from the gold
Hong Kong skipper Jamie Hood and his team are fired up.
“The mood in the camp is good and we are ready. Just two games away from the gold,” said ebullient winger Tom McQueen summing up the feelings of his teammates as they stand on the verge of history.
Heading up the other side of the draw are defending Asian Games champions Japan. Recalled Brave Blossoms captain Michael Leitch already has his eye on the final and on Wednesday he revealed how his side were expecting to meet Hong Kong.
“We haven’t won this season [against Hong Kong] and hopefully it will be a different story tomorrow [Thursday]. But to beat HK is going to be very difficult,” Leitch said.
“But we are keen to defend our title. Last time [in the 2010 Guangzhou Asiad] we played with six men on the field in the final and beat Hong Kong. That spirit is still around,” he added.
