Match Preview

In the penultimate round of the Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership, the teams are back from their festive break and looking for strong runs into knockout stages of the season. A triple header at King’s Park is the perfect way to welcome back elite level rugby in Hong Kong.

3rd placed Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay will come up against 2nd placed Societe General Valley who are highly motivated to make next weeks round ten match a virtual Premiership final against Natixis HKFC. They trail the Football Club by just two competition points and will need to get passed Sandy Bay to keep their Premiership aspirations alive.

Photo credit: HKRU

Supposedly a home game, Sandy Bay come to this match at King’s Park on the back of some good form in the latter stages of 2019 but with a loss at Sports Road against the comp front runners, HKFC, in the final game before the break. Head Coach, Brett Wilkinson knows that his team needs to get back to winning ways and attempt to build the sort of form that saw them sweep all-comers aside in the final seven weeks of the 2018/19 season.

In the two previous encounters this season, Valley have come out on top by ten points or less and know that The Bay represents a considerable threat. Bay skipper Gair Currie and his men will be keen to take revenge on those losses and look to gain a psychological advantage into a potential semi-final against the men in red and black on 1st February if they can snag the ‘W’.

Photo credit: HKRU
Wilkinson's call up of prop Sunia Femeitau is the only change to a steady starting pack, with Ash Hyde dropping to the bench. The big Kiwi Tongan is joined by front row regulars Zac Cinnamond and hooker Alex Post.

The back five has been stable and once again, the in-form Mark Prior binds up with the rural Canterbury workhorse Lawrence Babe in the second row while two South Africans and a Canadian lock down the backrow in Luke van der Smit, Dean Rossouw and Cole Mosychuk.

The halves, Liam Slatem and Nik Cumming, have been on a try-scoring spree in recent rounds as well as setting the backline in motion – and this will be a good contest against Valley’s Ruan Du Ploy and young Liam Owens.

Liam Slatem against Valley (Credit HKRU)

One thing’s for sure, there will be sparks in the midfield with captain Currie being reunited with veteran Alex McQueen, back from national duties following a long sevens campaign. In their road will be dynamic Tongan, Penikolo Latu and Kiwi Mitchell Purvis.

Deceptive Seb Brien retains his spot on the right wing, Simon Bienvenu slots back into the other flank and Jack Metters gets the nod at ‘15’.

League standings aside, this is match that both teams will be eying as a chance to reignite their campaigns after the break. Just 160 minutes separates these sides from their playoff destinies.

Can the Bay spoil Valley’s Premiership chances and sour the leaving party of head coach Andrew Kelly? With your help they can.

Kick off is 2pm at King’s Park. Get along and support the men of the Bay.

The match will be streamed live with commentary on the Sandy Bay Facebook Page.

Up the Bay!

In other matches:
1:30PM Marauders vs Valley at Happy Valley
3:00PM Storm vs Tin Shui Wai at Tin Shui Wai
5:00PM Raiders vs Valley at Stanley Ho Sports Centre
6:00PM Vikings vs Valley at Happy Valley