McSorleys Match Report - Kerry Cup Round 1 vs HKFC

By Jacob Rumball

Coming off the back of their first regular season win a week prior and hungry to add another to the tally, the boys from Sandy Bay, colloquially known as the ‘Tugboats’, were buzzing with excitement as they hit the field.

With Hong Kong’s best (including 6 players from Sandy Bay) away in France vying for a last chance shot at the 2019 World Cup of Rugby it was left to the club men of the bay, bolstered by several call-ups from the much feared ‘Prem A Vikings’, to battle it out against a barely depleted HKFC.

The first half saw Sandy Bay control much of the possession but squander numerous scoring opportunities. Despite strong running from journeyman winger Marno Meyer and crushing turnover tackles from Jonathan ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ Cimmerbeck, the first half closed with Sandy Bay up only 6 to 0; full credit is due to Jack Metters for netting the two conversions with his excellent long-range kicking.

The second act opened with another penalty kick from Metters, putting Sandy Bay up 9 to 0. The strong start was spoiled by a slew of turnovers and penalties which allowed HKFC to push into an attacking position and strike across the line with an easy try and conversion underneath the posts. The pressure did not let off there however; a yellow card from the referee’s pocket saw Zach ‘Sweet & Sour’ Cinnamon sent off to ponder his on-field transgressions.

Coach Brett Wilkinson, seeing his troops tiring, took this opportunity to bring on fresh legs and get the engine back up and running, which it very quickly did. Gareth Kallel delivered a tail ended return on investment with an explosive 60-yard dash down the sideline, putting Angus Cameron away to bring the score to 16-7 for Sandy Bay. Minutes later, another Shooter McGavin-esque penalty from Metters upped the lead to 19-12.

Sandy Bay made the final minutes difficult for themselves, compounding error after error, culminating in the mother of all turnovers by otherwise clinical Matt ‘HKFC’s Man of the Match’ Lamming, which brought HKFC to Sandy Bay’s goal line. A tying scoring looking inevitable, however Sandy Bay once again showed their mettle, battling it out for five minutes, stopping runners, scrums, and lineouts, and finally, holding the ball up over the try line to end the game with a win for the good guys.

Jacob Rumball Esq.