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Hong Kong defeated Chile at their own game at the Cup of Nations on Tuesday, earning a 13-6 victory on the back of a dominant scrum and superior forward effort. The tightly-contested match saw only one try scored between the two sides with the Cóndores struggling to break through an organized and committed Dragons defense.
A match that was projected to be even proved exactly that in the first half, with neither side able to put points on the board until the closing moments. After repeated scrum infractions Claudio Zamorano was sent to the sidelines and Hong Kong took full advantage. Their forwards muscled ahead until flanker Matt Lamming burrowed over for a try under the posts, Jack Neville’s routine conversion making it 7-0 to the home side at the break.
Jack Parfitt joined his opposite in the bin for a dangerous tackle just after the intermission which handed Tomás Ianiszewski a shot at the posts. The fullback made no mistake to put his country on the board, but Neville erased it with a goal of his own soon after.
Ianiszewski hit another from long range to close the gap to only four points just ahead of the hour mark. A third attempt fell just short to Hong Kong’s relief. As Chilean energy levels dropped so did their discipline and Matt Rosslee landed one of two kicks at goal to stretch the gap to a converted try. The Condores threatened late but could not conjure a try and Bastián Burguener paid the price for team infringements with a yellow card to end any thoughts of a comeback.
Chile will be disappointed with the result and particularly the scrum where they had hoped to gain an advantage. They will now regroup before their third and final match of the tournament against favorites Russia on Saturday. Hong Kong face Kenya with both matches to be played at HKFC Stadium.
SCORING
HONG KONG 13
Tries – M. Lamming (39’)
Cons – J. Neville 1/1 (40’)
Pens – J. Neville 1/1 (46’), M. Rosslee 1/2 (69’)
Yellow cards – J. Parfitt (42’)
CHILE 6
Pens – T. Ianiszewski 2/3 (43’, 59’)
Yellow cards – C. Zamorano (36’), B. Burguener (78’)
TEAMS
HONG KONG
1 Ben Higgins (17 Dan Barlow 52’), 2 Ben Roberts (capt.) (16 Dayne Jans 62’), 3 Jack Parfitt (18 Dylan Rogers 52’), 4 James Cunningham, 5 Kyle Sullivan (19 Adrian Griffiths 70’), 6 Kane Boucaut (18 Dylan Rogers 44’-52’) (23 Michael Coverdale 62’), 7 Matt Lamming, 8 Thomas Lamboley, 9 Liam Slatem (21 Cado Lee 54’), 10 Jack Neville (22 Matt Rosslee 62’), 11 Ally Maclay, 12 Sam Purvis, 13 Tyler Spitz, 14 Marcus Ramage, 15 Jamie Hood
Not used: 20 Conor Hartley
CHILE
1 Claudio Zamorano (17 Vittorio Lastra 52’), 2 Tomás Dussaillant (16 Ignacio Guajardo 75’), 3 José Tomás Munita (18 Marco Díaz 79’), 4 Nikola Bursic (19 Bastián Burguener 70’), 5 Mario Mayol, 6 Javier Richard (20 Manuel Dagnino 58’), 7 Anton Petrowitsch, 8 Benjamín Soto (17 Vittorio Lastra 38’-46’), 9 Juan Pablo Perrotta (21 Domingo Saavedra 56’), 10 Santiago Videla, 11 Franco Velarde, 12 Francisco de la Fuente, 13 José Ignacio Larenas (capt.), 14 Mauricio Urrutia (23 Matías Balbontín 62’), 15 Tomás Ianiszewski
Not used: 22 Benjamín Pizarro
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Maxime Burlet (FBRB)
Assistants: Federico Anselmi (UAR) & Matt Rodden (HKRFU)
TMO: Peter White (HKRFU)
