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Hong Kong rebounded from their loss against Chile. The Asia No 2 were 80-12 winners over South American No 5 Paraguay on Saturday. Played at the Estadio Héroes de Curupayty, it was one-way traffic as Hong Kong converted a 47-07 half-time score into an 80-12 victory.
Hong Kong scored one point per every minute of rugby played. The scoring started early and was relatively constant. The first try came in the third minute. It was a pushover try in the form of a lineout to maul from five meters out. The second try was scored in the 6th minute; again it was a lineout to maul score.
Three minutes was working like a click of the button for Hong Kong. The third try came on 9 minutes with fullback Matthew Worley beating two defenders en route to scoring under the posts. Worley scored again in the 12th minute. This time he provided a support line to scrum-half Jack Combes who took a quick-tap for a penalty.
The fifth Hong Kong try also came three minutes after the previous score. From a scrum, the Asian side used the width of the field three times before center Ben Axten-Burrett saw a gap and sliced through.
Paraguay was competitive in one area: the scrum. Following scrum penalties five meters out, debutant center Ramiro Amarilla went over. The Argentine’s try was converted by Sebastián Urbieta for a 33-7 scoreline after 28 minutes.
Winger Charles Higson-Smith and hooker Alexandre Post added tries for Hong Kong before half-time. Higson-Smith scored out wide while Post went over for another lineout to maul try. It cam with Paraguayan captain Mariano Garcete having ben yellow carded.
The second-half scoring began in the 44th minute. Captain Joshua Hrstich scored after waves of attacks inside the Paraguayan 22. The New Zealander’s try was converted for a 54-7 lead.
Hong Kong scored next on 59 minutes. Replacement Luke van der Smit made a magnificent break through center field. He ran wide where he found an unmarked Murray Brechin. Replacement hooker Callum Scott scored in virtually the same spot seven minutes later.
Paraguay pierced the try zone for a second time. Prop Estefano Aranda went over for a 69th minute try. Hong Kong scoring resumed, and concluded, at the other end. Brechin added his second try. Then with time up, Hong Kong’s potent lineout to maul combination added the final try of the evening.
Head Coach Andrew Douglas, captain Joshua Hrstich and the roster and staff now travel from Asunción to São Paulo, Brazil. Hong Kong’s there match tour of South America will conclude next Saturday against Os Tupis in the largest city in South America.
| LINEUPS |
PARAGUAY
1 Cesar Pérez, 2 Jordi Chavez, 3 Rolando Portillo, 4 Juan José Heisecke, 5 Mariano Garcete (capt.), 6 Alvaro Allo, 7 Ariel Núñez, 8 Mateo Rodríguez, 9 Gonzalo Bareiro, 10 Sebastián Urbieta, 11 Juan González, 12 Rafael Bareiro, 13 Ramiro Amarilla, 14 Gianfranco Parodi, 15 Arturo López
Replacements: 16 Daniel Cabral, 17 Camilo Blasco, 18 Estefano Aranda, 19 Ignacio Martínez, 20 Adrian León, 21 Diego Miño, 22 Hector Gayoso, 23 Tomás Mussi
HONG KONG
1 James Holmes, 2 Alexandre Post, 3 Faizal Solomona Penesa, 4 Jamie Pincott, 5 Patrick Jenkinson, 6 Tyler McNutt, 7 Pierce Mackinlay-West, 8 Joshua Hrstich (capt.), 9 Jack Combes, 10 Gregor McNeish, 11 Paul Altier, 12 Ben Axten-Burrett, 13 Nathan de Thierry, 14 Charles Higson-Smith, 15 Matthew Worley
Replacements: 16 Callum Scott, 17 Ben Higgins, 18 Zac Cinnamond, 19 Luke van der Smit, 20 Callum McCullough, 21 Bryn Phillips, 22 Harry Sayers, 23 Murray Brechin
| MATCH VIDEO |
| MATCH OFFICIALS |
Referee: Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Assistants: Simón Larrubia (Argentina); Frank Méndez (Chile)
