Hong Kong go out firm favourites against hapless Sri Lanka

The Hong Kong Under 19s men’s national team will go out firm favourites to win the Asia Rugby Under 19s title when they take on hapless Sri Lanka under 19 rugby team in the second leg at home in Hong Kong Football Club rugby stadium today. As per the new format introduced this year it will be Hong Kong versus the hosts on a home-and-away series with last year’s runners-up Sri Lanka.

Hong Kong travelled to Colombo for the opening match last Sunday thrashing the host Sri Lanka by runaway 37 points to 8 at Race Course international stadium in Sri Lanka in the end. A series win in this will see Hong Kong qualify for another Under 20 Rugby world cup trophy tournament in 2018.

The squad under head coach Stephen Dows features ten members from last year’s winning team including the veteran Mark Coebergh, who has featured in all four of Hong Kong’s previous Asia Rugby Under 20 rugby title wins.

Coebergh will be joined by cracking number eight Max Denmark, who had his senior debuts in both sevens and fifteens under the Hong Kong jersey. The two players Coebergh and Denmark had co-captain the Hong Kong rugby squad in Sri Lanka.

These two seniors Coebergh and Denmark are supported by a number of fellow Under 20 veterans including winger Marcus Ramage, who will be joined by his brother Gregor who is a third row forward.

They will be further strengthened with the services of players from the last year’s competition which include Jake Barlow, Mikkel Christensen, Oliver Duffy, Liam Herbert, Takamasa Hoshiyama, James Karton, Oliver Overman, Sam Tsoi, Jack Abbott, Thaddeus Summers, Kelvin Chau, David Tang, Chong Shun-Hong and Paul Altier. Mean while the Sri Lankan team led by their speedy wing three quarter Naveen Heenakankanamge played a somewhat of a unimpressive game against Hong Kong in their first leg game played last week , The forte of the Sri Lankan side have been their power-packed forwards and they should come up with an improved display with the whole team must rally around their skipper enabling them to come up with a much better performance and should give of their very best if they hope to overcome this sensational Hong Kong outfit.