Hong Kong beat Kazakhstan to set up Asia Rugby Women’s Championship decider with Japan
City team win 29-12 in Fukuoka following five-try display, as teenager Naomi Peeters makes debut from bench
Head coach Lewis Wilson said Hong Kong were backing themselves to upset heavy favourites Japan in an Asia Rugby Women’s Championship decider on Sunday, after the city team overcame dogged Kazakhstan 29-12 in steamy Fukuoka on Tuesday.
Tanya Dhar, Kea Herewini and Shanna Forrest all crossed to give Hong Kong a 17-0 half-time advantage.
Player-of-the-match Forrest said: “Kazakhstan are a very physical team, but I think we executed well in certain areas and that helped us win the game.”
The Kazakhs’ two tries came from Oxana Shadrina and Svetlana Malezhina, either side of a score for Jess Eden, before Grace Hood wrapped up Hong Kong’s success with two minutes remaining.
Wilson, who handed a late debut off the bench to lock Naomi Peeters, praised his side’s “physical and well-organised defence” throughout a performance that was “testament to all the hard work we’ve done”.
The weekend shoot-out with record six-times champions Japan, who are fine-tuning ahead of the August and September World Cup in England, will represent a significant step up for world No 17 team Hong Kong.