Prems (1)
Matches
Sat 14 Dec 2019  ·  Premiership
Natixis HKFC
31
17
HKU Sandy Bay RFC
Prems (1)
Tries: N Cumming (2), L SlatemConversions: J Metters
Sandy Bay Unable to Topple HKFC in Entertaining Match

Sandy Bay Unable to Topple HKFC in Entertaining Match

Grant Beuzeval16 Dec 2019 - 05:33
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Round 8 comes and goes with no change to the Premiership standings with just two rounds remaining after the holiday break

In all but fifteen minutes, Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay matched league leaders Natixis HKFC in every facet of the game. Two quick tries in the second half, though, saw HKFC pull ahead with a lead that the Bay could not recover from.

In the first half, the Bay forwards had laid a decent platform for Liam Slatem and Nik Cumming to launch raids towards the scoreboard end. Football Club’s goal-line defence was impressive and took a hell of a battering before leaking two scores to rampant flyhalf, Cumming, who was leaving great smoky question marks hanging over the inside channels with the doubt he was creating. Cumming has discovered a real nose for the try-line with six tries in the past few weeks.

There were some impressive ball carries by big number eight Ben Davey, doing an admirable job of providing valuable go-forward ball in the absence of Luke van der Smit who was last seen driving a 1976 Datsun 120Y though the Kalahari Desert in reverse. It was hard to single out a Bay forward who didn’t carry well in the first half, while flankers Dean Rossouw and Cole Mosychuk scavenged hard on defence.

Clubs’ tactical kicking kept the Bay in their own half and managed to pick up two quick tries in the early stages of the second half.

At 31-12 down, Sandy Bay stayed in the fight, knowing that even a single bonus point would be worthwhile at this stage. A short ball from replacement George Humphreys found Mosychuk on a blinding line, scything through the defence and very nearly beating the last defender before deftly popping the ball inside to trailing Slatem who dotted down for his fifth for the season.

HKFC kept Sandy Bay out for the final stages, denying the visitors a single bonus point who come away empty handed but two points ahead of Bloomberg HK Scottish and eight points clear of Kerry Hotel Kowloon.

There’s a sense, still, that Sandy Bay are yet to put together their best performance and an understanding that there are only two further league games to piece it together. After a 3 week holiday break, the Bay will face second-placed Societe General Valley before a final match against Scottish on 18th January – which could effectively decide 3rd and 4th spots.

There haven been some excellent patches of play from Brett Wilkinson’s side and they shouldn’t fear any other side in the premiership except themselves. The biggest moments are nearly upon us.

Match details

Match date

Sat 14 Dec 2019

Kickoff

16:45

Location

Competition

Premiership

League position

1
Natixis HKFC
3
Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay
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