Hong Kong to Open 2012 HSBC A5N Campaign Against UAE on Friday

Hong Kong is set to open its 2012 HSBC Asian 5 Nations (HSBC A5N) Top 5 campaign with a crucial away match versus the UAE on Friday night, (27 April).

Historically, away wins have made the difference for teams hoping to avoid relegation from the Top 5 and Hong Kong will be eager to avoid a repeat of the surprise defeat on its last away trip to UAE in the HSBC A5N, where they lost 16-9 in Bahrain in 2010.

A 23-man travelling squad has been selected with one additional player brought along as injury cover for the opening match while the team waits on the fitness status of prop Steve Nolan.

The Hong Kong Football Club front row trio of Steve Nolan, Tom Bolland and Ian Ridgway are all available to play for the first time since the Emirates Airlines Cup of Nations in Dubai and all are expected to earn their first HSBC A5N caps in the coming weeks.

Senior Coach Leigh Jones has selected six HKFC forwards in the travel squad for the opening encounter in Dubai. The squad is led by Pale Tauti from DeA RFC at No. 8 who marks his first HSBC A5N campaign as captain.

Included in the squad are some of Hong Kong’s veteran A5N campaigners including winger Rowan Varty and prop Alex Ng Wai Shing, who each has 11 HSBC A5N caps, as well as Keith Robertson at fly-half who has nine to his credit.

Hong Kong beat UAE twice last year at the Hong Kong Football Club in the HSBC A5N and again away in the Cup of Nations last December, but Senior Coach Leigh Jones is mindful of the dangers of complacency.

“We are very respectful and very mindful of the danger of being complacent in Dubai. It is something we have talked a lot about this week. We know that the UAE have something like 10 newly qualified players and that they recently ran Tunisia close in Tunis. So really we are facing a new opponent and a very difficult one on a Friday night, which is a bit unusual for us in terms of test match timings. But as a team we are looking forward to the challenge,” Jones said.

Despite having their preparation hampered somewhat by an extended sevens campaign this year with Hong Kong taking part in the Tokyo Sevens at end March, Jones is pleased with how the team has come together.

“We have had a good preparation and selection for the opening trip away has been very difficult from a performance perspective. We are leaving a lot of good players back in Hong Kong which is a testament to the competition for positions in the squad, but we are confident that the team we have selected is ready for the challenge,” he said.

Last year, Hong Kong enjoyed its most successful HSBC A5N campaign ever, finishing as runners-up to Japan for the first time since the inception of the tournament in 2008.

Hong Kong will take on UAE at The Sevens at 20:00 (Dubai time). The match will be aired LIVE on Star Sports on Friday night at 23.55 Hong Kong time.

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