An extremely physical and pacey Hong Kong China, delivered a masterclass in running rugby, to hammer an error-strewn Sri Lanka 78-7, in a one-sided Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship fixture at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground yesterday (22).
The triumph on Sunday, placed HK China in pole position to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, with victory over South Korea in Incheon on 5 July, after they swatted aside UAE the previous week 43-10 in Dubai.
The expatriates-laden Hong Kong China, having absorbed the early pressure exerted by the world’s 39th-ranked tourists, then got into their groove to outscore the latter by 12 tries to one, in a try-fest that lit up the venue.
The home side’s forwards and backs were akin to poetry in motion, as they punched gaping holes in Sri Lanka’s porous defence at will, to lead 33-7 at half-time.
They then upped the tempo further to score 45 unanswered points in the second-half, to underscore the yawning gulf between them and the ‘Tuskers’, in the 15-man code.
Sri Lanka competing in the championship for the first time since 2014, after an initial 10-minute period of dominance in the opening exchanges, came apart at the seams.
They struggled to cope with the formidable physicality of the hosts and capitulated sans a whimper, to suffer one of their worst losses-71-point margin in international rugby.
For HK China, strongly-built No. 8 Luke Kyle Van Der Smit and brilliant full back Matt Worley led the try-spree with a hat-trick of touchdowns each, while right-wing Paul Altier grabbed a brace.
Hooker Callum Scott, skipper cum blindside flanker Josh Hrstich, replacement forward Pierce Ian West and left-wing Harry Sayers, also crossed the Lankan whitewash in the lop-sided affair.
Explosive winger Altier named Emirates Player-of-the-Match excelled not only with his try-scoring, but with his work off the kicking tee as well, as he contributed 24 points via two tries and seven conversions.
He thus deftly controlled the proceedings after the early exit of regular place-kicker and fly-half Nathan Thiery, who went off following an injury having converted the opening two scores.
The only bright spark for the well-beaten visitors were the efforts of right-wing Pasindu Bandara-the sole try-scorer and lock forward Naveen Marasinghe, but the rest only made up the numbers, in a showdown that resembled a Goliath versus Lilliput.
For the winners whose final tally meant they scored virtually a minute in the Test, hooker Scott, No. 8 Van Der Smit, full back Worley, captain Hrstich and right-wing Altier, went over respectively in the first 40-minute period, with all but one of the tries being converted.
In the second-half they shifted gears against the exhausted Islanders and it saw further tries being credited to the likes of Van Der Smit (2), Worley (2), and a try a piece to West, Sayers and Altier, with the latter adding the extras to five of the tries.
For Tarinda Ratwatte’s men, full back Pasindu Bandara crossed in the 37th minute following a looping pass from his captain, but it only proved a consolation score.
They now head home to lick their wounds and regroup ahead of their final fixture against the UAE at Colombo on 4 July.
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