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Hong Kong:Natixis HKFC will host SCAA First Pacific Causeway Bay at 18.00 on Saturday in the KPMG Game of the Week, a tilt with likely implications in the race to secure a spot in the KPMG Premiership after the teams split into major and minor Premierships next month.
Societe General Valley face Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish Kukris at Happy Valley at 16.30, while Gai Wu Falcons take on Transact24 Tai Po Dragons, also at Happy Valley, kick off at 18.00, while Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers face off with Kerry Hotel Kowloon at 18.00 at KGV in other KPMG Premiership action.
The game of the week is an enticing one with HKFC and Causeway Bay entering the match deadlocked in tied fourth spot with equal one win, two loss records, good for five points. Debut Premiership outfit HK Scottish is also in contention, with the same record but off b a single bonus point as they as lie in sixth place.
Valley and Gai Wu are deadlocked at the top of the series log, with both favourites to keep their place after Saturday’s games, and both teams likely under pressure to produce bonus points as well, to keep the tie intact. Tigers are comfortably in third at 2-1 on 10 points, five off the co-leaders.
After the initial ranking rounds, all eight teams will be split into two four-team major and minor Premierships in early November. With the top three looking settled at this stage, bar the final rankings, the battle for the crucial fourth spot is now heating up.
Saturday’s Sports Road showdown will likely create space in the chase with Club hoping to use home turf to its advantage in locking down fourth.
HKFC was handed the roughest start to the year, facing perennial champions Valley and Gai Wu in the first two weeks of the season. Predictably, those results went against them with 37-0 and 29-12 losses respectively. They bounced back with a 37-0 drubbing of Tai Po to move into striking distance but Saturday’s clash will be a sterner test with an experienced Causeway Bay outfit coming into town.
First year Causeway Bay coach Prince Wong already noted that Football Club’s youth is an advantage but expects her side’s experience to be worthy antidote, saying, “Club is a really young and energetic side, even though some of their backs are very experienced. They have speed across the park and are good kickers. We will need our forwards, who are really experienced, and also very agile, to step up,” said Wong.
After entering the season with several senior players having to adjust to the challenge of playing at new positions, Wong is pleased with the way her side has gelled early on.
“It’s not a rebuild, but our players have had to adapt to some new situations quickly this season,” Wong added.
Things seem to be solidifying for Causeway Bay, after they opened the campaign with a heavy 61-0 loss to Tigers, before toughing out a 32-12 win over Dragons and holding their own in a narrow 22-10 defeat to Gai Wu.
That steady improvement will be tested at Football Club, but it has led Wong to raise her sights marginally for the early stages of the league, in a campaign where the pre-season goal was simply to avoid relegation.
“I am satisfied with our performance so far and to be contesting a top four place at this stage. This game is very important for us to get that spot and we are going to throw everything at them to get this win.”