Sandy Bay combined with Gai Wu for the 2020/21 season and started the league opening game with an unlucky loss at Stanley Ho to a combined Discovery Bay Pirates / Flying Kukri's team.
DB Pirates / Flying Kukri's could only field a team of 12 so Sandy Bay / Gai Fu, at full strength, had to play down to 12-a-side and supply the opposition with two of their own.
In a game defined by a fair number of handling errors and half tackles on both sides (not surprising after a 10 month break from the playing field) DB Pirates / Flying Kukri's scored first through a open field breakaway try, a feat they repeated three more times during the course of the game.
Sandy Bay / Gai Wu were playing with their core girls from the 2019/20 season, but had not played together as a combined team until this match. As the game progressed they started to come together and play more fluid rugby, dominating the rucks up front and good combinations from the backs. The girls dominated territory in the second half and at one point were camped on the opposition 22 yard line for a good 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, Sandy Bay / Gai Wu were chasing the scoreline from the start and while they came within one try of leveling the score with 10 minutes to go until full time, a final open field breakaway try by a DB Pirate / Flying Kukri speedster sealed the game at 33 - 20.
Coaches mentions for Hayley Lai, Ball Chan and Carolyn Levy (in her debut for Sandy Bay / Gai Wu).