Valley emerge victorious after bruising Grand Championship battle
Win over Hong Kong Scottish sets up Grand Final against HKCC
Love might have been in the air on Valentine's Day, but at The Rock in Shek Kip Mei it was in short supply.
There was only grudging respect between Societe Generale Valley and Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish after a monumental Grand Championship semi-final battle ended in a 17-13 victory for Valley.
"They are a really good side and have been the form team this season and it took guts from us to keep them out and seal the victory," said relieved Valley captain and centre Matt Rosslee.
It is frustrating. We switched off a little bit and they made the most of it
The hard-fought win saw Valley book a berth in the March 7 grand final against Leighton Asia HKCC, who defeated Natixis HKFC 16-8 in the other semi-final.
It was heartache for Scottish. Runners-up in the league, they fell short once again in the knockout competition but can carry their heads high after a sterling performance.
"It is frustrating. We switched off a little bit and they made the most of it," said HK Scottish head coach Craig Hammond. "But I feel we were unlucky not to come away with a win but that's semi-final rugby and all credit to Valley. We put them under a lot of pressure but they defended with their hearts on the line.
"Hopefully they can go on and win the final. We have a good relationship with Valley and there is mutual respect between us."
