Hong Kong face ACT Brumbies seeking signs of progress on road to Rugby World Cup
Team aim to put ‘tough couple of weeks’ behind them after loss to Japan A and revelation of Luke van der Smit’s failed drugs test
Hong Kong host ACT Brumbies on Saturday still searching for the combinations that will carry the team into the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
A week on from the disappointing loss to Japan A, Andrew Douglas has opted for a new front row, a change at fly-half and centre, and a fresh face among the replacements for the game against the Australian side at Football Club.
The game comes just days after Luke van der Smit, the No 8, made his failed drugs test public, and on the back of a perfomance against Japan that initially had Douglas furious but which in hindsight “probably wasn’t as bad” as he thought.
“I won’t lie, it’s been a tough couple of weeks, to be honest,” Douglas, Hong Kong’s head of technical rugby, said. “Obviously there’s been a fair bit going on … but [the team] are pretty positive about what they’re doing, they’re excited to play again, but it’s been a good resilience-builder the last couple of weeks.”
Still, the missed tackles in the backs and some of the issues around the set piece last Friday were causes for concern, and the changes reflect a desire to resolve those.
With little to be learned from another start for front rowers Sunia Fameitau, Calum Scott and Zacceus Cinnamond, the opening exchanges will be handled by Rory Cinnamond, Calum McFeat-Smith and Harry Baron, who missed the Japan game with concussion.