Stunning photos

What a great Saturday, ladies and gentlemen. The result for Club was not what we might have hoped for but I thought they put up a tremendous fight, contributed to an outstanding game of rugby and came the closest they have all season to unleashing their full potential. More thoughts on this to come, also in the HKFC magazine.

In the meantime, thought you might enjoy these stunning photos taken by Tim Bowman, who we asked to capture Grand Finals day for posterity.

http://www.bowmanphotos.com/gallery/7609902_dz8pA#492660577_KLaZ6

The time is now for Club

I have a million things to do at work, so I thought the best thing to do would be Blog it up a little. Andy why not: this weekend is the razor-like point of the sharp end of the business part of the season. It's Grand Finals time, and that means Valley, as usual.

We all know how loaded this fixture is, especially when it comes at crunch time, and I've written about it before. Broadly, the crude stereotypes are as follow. Club is the establishment; a bunch of stuck-up, overpaid posers with far too many players from the British Isles (I damn near said England there) to have much 'mongrel.' And then Valley are the upstarts; the 'real' rugby players; the ones who care about playing rugby and not swimming pools and fancy restaurants; the ones always looking to prove their quality by turning over the arrogant stuffed shirts from the Club.

That's how the myth goes, anyway. Personally I think it's nonsense. I have no doubt you'll find plenty of bankers, brokers and lawyers playing for Valley, and there are certainly plenty of people playing for Club who have been more or less brought to Hong Kong by rugby. In any case, buying in to this culture war myth in order to deepen the rivalry between the two clubs has always seemed pointless to me. To my mind, the only reason we should see this fixture as loaded is because Hong Kong's two best rugby sides, who have been tussling for supremacy for decades, will meet in a winner takes all final. Surely that gives us all the extra frisson we need?

Club are in this season's grand final after a 38-7 win over an improved Causeway Bay outfit last weekend. The boys secured a lot of good, quick, clean ball and played with a great sense of purpose. Mike Glancy's miracle boot and the imposing presence of Sam Robinson, who scored twice and frankly terrorised the opposition throughout, were big contributing factors. There was also something of a conflagration on the sidelines but the less said about that the better, I think.

As I've said before, Club have incredible talent and energy across the team. But, if we're honest, the machine hasn't really come to life yet this season. It's choked and sputtered and sometimes run for a few minutes, but it has never really fired on all cylinders. If it does, Club can beat a very good Valley side indeed, and beat them handsomely.

We've had enough frustration and nearly moments this season, so I'm backing Club to find top gear at last on Saturday and stake an early claim to dominance in 2009/10. And I have an inkling they might just do it, just as I had an inkling the Aussie cricketers would fight back successfully in South Africa.

More to come on Drags etc
Harps

Drags v Scorps - a jolly afternoon

Evening all

Bit of, er, fun on Saturday for Dragons and Scorpions (final score around 35-12 to Drags but don't quote me on that). Scorps came out firing with all the guts and application you would expect from a team bearing that name, and from any team billed as the underdog in an intra-HKFC derby. Drags may not be happy with the manner of their victory but they walked away league champs after Valley succumbed to PLA 23-20.

In particular, I would like to offer the front-rower's salute to the men of the Scorps front row: Messrs Wong, Nazer, Kim and Browne, who fronted up admirably. While Drags had the upper hand in the scrummage, this determined band and the rest of the Scorps pack tested them every step of the way - and came back at the Drags with interest on occasion.

Apart from that, it was a scrappy, aggressive, niggly and rather disjointed match, full of venom but strangely muted as a contest compared to some of the Scorps v Drags superclasicos of old. I don't think the referee enjoyed it either - he kept blowing his whistle to try and liven it up. I tried to cheer him up a bit by asking what was the only thing worse than refereeing a club side? Refereeing two of course. But he wasn't really in the mood for my outstanding banter so I let it drop.

The game was really only notable for being Andy Boucher's last match for HKFC - for the Bouchers are off to the USA - and for the debut of a young man from New Zealand called Sam, who terrorised the Scorps from number eight and who I doubt will be playing much more for Dragons if he stays in Hong Kong. Sam is a friendly, amiable soul unless you happen to be anywhere near him on a rugby pitch as part of the opposing team. Then he would be better named Samageddon. After a few contact situations with him on Monday in which I came off marginally second best, I would counsel a very low body position and the advantage of a long run-up to his future opponents. But he seems like a bl*ody useful chap to have on your side, so welcome, Sam.

Furthermore, a strong Select side also celebrated victory in Division 3, beating Macau 25-21, while Sequins were likewise crowned champs in Division 4 with a hefty win over Causeway Bay.

Harps

Sympathy for Andy Goode

I hate to say it, but I feel a bit bad for Andy Goode. The poor lad's been dropped for Toby Flood in the England team to play Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday. I know Goode is old, a little bit lardy (despite apparently having lost some weight), has a haircut like Rik Mayall and has been associated with some of the worst performances of the post-2003 era. I've never been a fan, having always thought he was a decent positional kicker but an average goalkicker and a very limited attacking player.

And then, against Wales, he unleashed the international performance of his career, moving the ball around slickly and bringing runners in to play as England gathered confidence in Cardiff. He put through a lovely dab kick for Paul Sackey's first try and, frankly, was quite unlucky to have to take that yellow for the team just after half time. He's not the future, and Flood may be, but I certainly found a new respect for Andy Goode in that game, and I found Nick James' chants of "he's fat, he's round, his a*se is on the ground" to be not without irony.

In HK, I know we're all pretty stoked, as the Australians might say, for Saturday's Scorpions v Dragons derby. It's always good to either (a) have a fight with Andy Noble if he's on the other team or (b) get into a fight alongside him if he's on your team. He won't let you down either way. This is always a lively encounter in which Scorps grow in stature in a way that belies their league table position. Drags will need to be wary, and I'm sure Tony George will be telling tales of famous Select victories over Scorps to inspire the, er, Scorps, if you can see how that works.

Our Captain has said he will show the video clip (below) of me predicting a 15 point Drags victory in the changing room beforehand. Frankly I don't think he has the technological know-how to make this happen. In any case, I'm standing by my punditry. Over to you all.

Harps

HKFC TV and the new plan for the Blog

Just when you thought the Blog was dead, we've unveiled a new technologic marvel. Yes, by the miracles of science, you can see and hear me going on from the comfort of my sitting room about the new plan for the Blog - shorter entries, more regularly updated, more new angles and insights and fewer comprehensive match reports. Or something like that. Let's see how it goes. Harps

Crunch Time in Crisp January

Good morning all



Welcome back, happy new year and all of that. I'm sure you will agree this is the very best time of year to be in HK: fresh, clear weather (by our dismal standards) and an invigorating chill in the air. I am beginning to think I might have already been in this fair city too long, though. Temperatures a fraction over 10 degrees celsius hardly put you in danger of frostbite, yet I have started wearing a scarf to work and jogging trousers at training. God only knows what would I would have to wear if I'd been back in England over the last few weeks, where rugby conditions have been like those in the picture below. Better not to think about it.







The rugger's off to an interesting start as well. Club had hoped to hone their gameplan against DEA last weekend and get into their groove before facing up to Valley on Saturday. Unfortunately, DEA hadn't read the script and forced our 1st XV to complete an escape of the kind that would have made Harry Houdini or Steve McQueen proud. Despite having no scrummage to speak of, Nigel Clarke's men were bolstered by the return of several of their leading players and had Club on the rack at 27-15 with three minutes to go.


The fact that Club found themselves in such a perilous situation is worrying: I wasn't able to see the game but I am told that DEA were able to turn over our ruck ball with alarming regularity. But the fact that the team was able to raise its game when staring defeat in the face and find two scores in the dying seconds confirms the strength of character that unquestionably exists within the side. Tries from Dan Watson and Ollie Jones leveled the final scoreline at 27-27, although a last-minute conversion attempt could even have seized an unlikely victory for Club. Amazingly, this was bottom-placed DEA's second draw of the season - they also finished level with HKCC before the break.


Club face a Herculean task against Valley this weekend. Our friendly neighbours are 18 points clear of us at the top of Division one. They have not missed a trick all season, racking up seven wins out of seven and a massive five bonus points. Club will have to find something extra to change the course of this season by beating them on their own ground on Saturday - there is no question of that. Last time the two sides met, Valley played the smarter game - retaining and recycling the ball much better and capitalising on Club's tendency that afternoon to squander good posession and lose discipline. But if Club can find both the driving desire to topple Valley and the clear heads to play to a sensible plan, this game can be theirs. There is so much energy and quality in the Club squad this season. If it can be harnessed, channeled and united, I am certain this team can see off Valley and go all the way in 2009.


Did you know that Dragons are the third-highest scoring team in all of Hong Kong men's rugby so far this season, having accumulated a whopping 300 points? Only Sequins in Division Four with 306 and BMW TPD (?) in Division Six with an incredible 353 have scored more.


But Drags found Scorpions determined to stem the flow last Saturday. After conceding 71 unanswered points in the last encounter between these two sides, Scorps were certainly battling the odds, but a first half display of enormous commitment and some luck (not to mention the siege-gun boot of Mike Glancy at fly-half, who also scored the first try of the match) carried Scorps to a 13-10 advantage at the break. Drags did not make their task any easier by seizing any opportunity to argue with each other throughout the afternoon - I will name no names here! - but their class ultimately shone through. They dominated possession and scored one lovely try in particular through Stevie Matthew that showcased the handling and continuity skills in the team. Although the fire-breathing Dragons threatened to stretch out a lead in the middle of the second half, Scorps had a sting in their tail (get it?), delivering a sharp final quarter to bring the game to a 28-20 close in Drags' favour.


Graham Fleming, Antony Philips, and Alasdair Frost also crossed for Drags, while your correspondent made a tremendous solo run from under his own goal posts, dummied left and right, stepped, jinked, chipped, chased and gathered to score Scorps' second. Actually it was more like I fell over the line from a metre out, but they all count for the same eh?

This game reminded me of the very competitive, combative and hard-fought Scorps v Drags fixtures of my early days in HK - the 2004-2005 season, since you ask. It was fantastic that a genuine Scorps team - albeit with some outstanding newcomers in the ranks - were able to bring this fixture back to a more level playing field.

The afternoon was only marred by injuries to Rob Jones (ankle) and Ian Ridgeway (calf). Scrummages were bizarre all day with four loosehead props in the front row. For the uninitiated, this meant both sides found it hard to secure their own feed cleanly since the two looseheads actually playing at loosehead would always get a drive on, and the two looseheads playing at tighthead weren't able to stop it and hold the scrum steady. Following an hour or more of being bent into all kinds of unpleasant shapes by said Mr Ridgeway, I am resolved to avoid tighthead at all costs in the future and to treat lame excuses from Gary Hamp as to why he can't play there this afternoon (it's my shoulder you see, Harps) with the scepticism they deserve.


That's all for now chaps, see you on Thursday.
Harps

Triumph and Disaster

Ladies and Gentlemen

I have neglected the Blog for too, too long and for that you have my apologies. Now that I'm back in the digital saddle, it feels good and I wonder why I couldn't find time to speak to the Blog's 231 unique users (at the last count) since November 20. To tell the truth, the last month has been a trifle frantic for all kinds of reasons. But we're here to talk about rugby and that is what I would like to do. If you'll honour me with your attention, I would like to share a few thoughts about the season so far and what we have to look forward to in 2009.

Golden Browne

Appropos of nothing, I would also like to share this delightful image of that tireless man of action, Daniel Browne, Esq, pictured as he psyched himself up for Select's first ever international in Macau by dreaming about pies and ponies on the ferry. All together, aaaaah.

Two Impostors

Moving on rather, the great Rudyard Kipling famously wrote in If that: "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same," as well as managing a lot of other difficult-sounding acts of Victorian fortitude and forbearance, then "Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it / And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!"

That's enough poetry for this afternoon, but I do want to tackle this question of meeting triumph and disaster and treating them the same. I'm all for stoicism, but treating triumph and disaster just the same is a nice ideal but clearly a nonsense. If we didn't respond to our setbacks by feeling pain and stepping up our efforts, or to our triumphs by feeling some sense of satisfaction, we'd hardly be human.

Dig for Victory

To go further, I would say we are challenged to respond differently to adversity and success. And this is the situation we as a Club face at the turn of the season. For all our numbers and the unquestionable talent that exists within the section, we have been outplayed by our ancient rivals Valley across our top three teams this year, with Scorps in particular conspiring to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in a manner that would make Kevin Pietersen and the England cricket team proud.

Being bested by Valley is an uncomfortable fact, but one that we have to confront as a section. There is no point in pretending otherwise, and treating triumph and disaster just the same will do us no good here - we have to respond to this with urgency, with unity and with a relentless sense of purpose. If we had trounced them, pats on the back and pints of bitter might have been in order instead. But we didn't.

The first half of the 2008-09 season should have shaken us out of a sense of entitlement that may have followed our victories last season and the arrival of so many high calibre players before this one. Now we have been reminded that you have to fight like hell to get to the top of any league at any level where the teams are fairly well-matched - and we have to take the lesson to heart.

Renaissance and Rediscovery

I've embarked on a similar rant in the January edition of the Club Magazine so there is no need to inflict any more of this on you here. In any case, I am feeling considerably more upbeat after last weekend. Somehow transformed, in fact.

Scorps beat the PLA 31-19 with some outstanding tries (Chris Howard's and Gavin Bowring's in particular). But this was more than just a fairly convincing victory against a decent second grade team by a Scorps side with more than its fair share of Drags and a smattering of Club players (Tom Bolland was outstanding, by the way, especially in the loose).

From my own perspective, this match was two other things. Firstly, it was a big rallying point for all the boys playing second grade. Both Drags and Scorps have suffered at the hands of Valley and PLA so far and this was the kind of confidence-boosting performance that they can use as the platform for a turnaround.

Secondly, it was the most fun I have had playing this year. It was one of those glorious games that you play with a smile on your face and an extra helping of energy because it's so enjoyable. The first half was very close and I thought it could be a tough old afternoon's work. But when Nick James showed some pure Welsh cheeky genius, throwing not one but two outrageous dummies before offloading to Danny Browne, who put Gav Bowring in to score, I was jumping for joy, grinning like an idiot and fully confident we could do this, and in style.

As that game unfolded, I remembered that rugby can be- and should be - exciting and spontaneous as well as organised and disciplined. But there was more. I felt like we shed the losses and the disappointment we have suffered this season because we were coming back from them in the best possible way. We felt like a team that was hungry for victory and which knew how to win, and that was pretty damn fine, I can tell you.

And when you have that spirit, people feed off it and exceptional things happen. Danny Browne, who was surely built for power rather than speed, joins a 50-yard break and makes a scoring pass. Chris Howard, in his "early 30s", takes a difficult ball and then goes over at full stretch in the corner like Bryan Habana. David Guthrie tackles...

It wasn't that the game became easy and it was very far from perfect - if Scorps had held on to the ball better in the second half in particular, they would have made life a lot easier for themselves. And I know Club have more daunting challenges than the PLA and that the first grade requires you to prepare and play with near-professional focus, but I hope they find that joyous edge of fun that I think we all did in that match. I don't think it means you have to play a loose game; I think it allows you to infuse a structured game with a special dynamism and vitality. And that has to be good for any team at any level.

In with the New

Anyhow, here's to 2009 - more triumph and less disaster.

While we are looking ahead, I have taken the liberty of offering five players to watch in 2009. I have omitted regular Club players, but I think these five guys will make a big impression next year and beyond. This is just a personal view - I'm not trying to influence any selection and I'm aware there are plenty more great players in the section who will impress in the future! Any comments of a non-physically threatening nature would be most welcome as ever.

FIVE FOR 2009

In no particular order:

Hayden Giordine (Dragons): Hugely impressive in the Drags back row since arriving this season. Strength, aggression, a great engine and rugby savvy to spare. Straight from the R. McCaw school of Kiwi flankers. Also the star of the Allen & Overy Professions 7s side. Well, much better than the "ringer" in any case...

Gavin Bowring (Scorpions): Proper pace, heaps of confidence and an intuitive ability to get on to the end of a scoring pass. I expect this chap to grow in composure and terrorise defences for years to come. And he's AQ...

Bobby Dimatteo (Bulls): Ex-gridiron full-back Dimatteo (pictured below) has the physique of a small tank, the strength of an ox and a combative, contact-seeking style. Currently scaring the wits out of the Bulls' opponents as a back row and kick-off return specialist, I have a suspicion his real vocation is at hooker. This is the Bobcat's first year playing the game, though, so he has plenty of time to find his preferred position and learn the subtler arts of rugby union.

David Price (Dragons): Imaginitively-nicknamed Pricey has spent time lurking in the backs but should really stick to 6 or 7, where his speed, tenacity and strong tackling will be most valuable. Pricey has only just been prised away from university but shows a willingness to listen and the origins of a rugby brain. Should spend time observing Hayden.

Rob Toresco (Scorpions): Ex-Princeton football player "Heart Throb" Rob Toresco could become a truly fearsome rugby winger. Like Dimatteo, this is his first season in the game. But a Jason Robinson-esque strength-to-size ratio, tremendous acceleration and good hands mean he has all the DNA of a top quality winger. Check out the Heart Throb's American football skills - can't believe the crowds at these games!

I now expect great swathes of abuse, but that's what your noble pundit has to deal with in life.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Harps

Drags keep spirited Nomads scoreless, rack up 56

Above: Nik Brunner (pictured playing against Drags for Scorps) had a typically robust game for Drags against Nomads, lining up some crunching hits in midfield. "I like it when they run straight at me," he commented after the game.

From the quill of none other than Condor himself

A good win Saturday (December 6) against Nomads 56 - 0 see's us once again on our winning way. The game was never in doubt however everyone on the day knew that we needed to play to our game plan and execute with discipline and structure. On both these points Drags delivered and we never lost our defensive or attacking shape from start to finish. It has to said that this was a very different Nomads to the guys we played earlier in the year. They had an improved forward pack with a few familiar faces in the front row who originally were PLA players on loan to Causeway Bay. So we did have a game on our hands after all. Also Nomads have a great team spirit which was most evident in the second half when they held us scoreless for good 20 min. We could all learn to fight that hard when we are 26 points down. Well done Nomads.

Drags forwards once again dominated from the front with our trusted front row combination of Horse Nolan, our Captain for the day, Alasdair Frost and Richard Gallagher with Adam Harper also joining in for a strong second half display. Overall the report card would reflect a very solid performance from all of them and the Nomads pack was always on the back foot. We had a new pairing in the lock positions with Rob Jones teaming up with Drags debutant Dan Watson. Both players had strong games with Dan in particular jumping well in the line out and both had a number of strong runs with ball in hand. At the back Marcus Neill back from his stint with the 1's led a strong mobile back row with Andrew Corkery and Hayden Giordine playing at eight.

Hayden in particular played well and managed to bag four tries in a clear cut man of the match display. Congratulations Hayden. In the backs finemaster Junior Naylor always had something to say and kept everyone focused on the task at hand. This week we had Shane Wallis back from injury which was welcomed news leading our 7th centre combination for the season in Leon Scott and David Price. On the wings we had the tried a tested combinations of David Guthrie and Callum Nieto with Dan Parr joining us from the 1's chimming in at fullback. The backline combinations worked well and we always looked in control with some strong runs from Shane leading the way. We had tries from Dan Parr and Callum with the rest coming from the forwards. Who it has to be said acted like backs for most of the game. Hayden four tries, Dan Watson, Alistair and Hewittson all running in one try a piece.

In summary a resounding win and true to the game plan we didn't consider a single point. Well done to the whole team including the reserve bench of Gavin Bowering, Steve Mathews, Adam Harper, Bob Toresco and Rupert Clarke. Without fresh legs coming off the bench we would have stalled at forty points I'm sure so everyone played a vital part in getting us over the half centry. Thank you.

Select não falo Português! Rugby a Winner in Macau

Select made history on Saturday November 29 (or at least history this century) by becoming the first 15 a-side team to play in Macau since the handover. Macau had recently beaten international heavyweights Mongolia, Cambodia, Pakistan and Indonesia and were looking to add the higher IRB ranked HKFC Select to the list.

Macau had been given approval to play at the Macau Canidrome Club (or dogtrack to you stay-at-home heathens), and the pitch was well grassed and watered. They kindly acceded to our request to play rolling subs, so as to allow all our tourists to have a run, as you would have expected an avalanche of players to participate in the highlight of the season for any Club player so far this year, especially as Drags and Scorps were not playing.

So 18 players made the trip, to play against the 30 internationals selected by Macau.
The appalling list of excuses included “my missus won’t let me go”, “I need to go to a dinner party” and “I can’t find my passport”. Pathetic, particularly as Matt Semple had endured a 20 hour white knuckle bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket to catch 2 connecting flights to get back to Hong Kong in time

Anyway to the game – Select held up well in the first half and led 6 – 0 at the break. Colin “Tight Hammie” Begg played a short cameo and Brownie had to come out of the front row to play at inside centre. Matt Smith controlled the back line and Yutaka exorted the forwards to “make them suffer”. Tired legs meant the second half was disappointing as the waves of fresh players from Macau took the ball to us. Final score 9 – 24.

After the game it was back to the bars and cafes of Old Taipa for a rich cultural learning experience. Macau were extremely generous hosts, and Select promised to reciprocate when they play in Hong Kong. Players of the Day: 3 points – Yutaka, 2 - Freddie B, 1 – Iain Boothby. And if you want to know more, come to play in Macau next time.

Roll of Honour: James Thomson, Danny Browne, Colin Wong, James Manders, Yutaka Yazawa, Tony George, Rob Gabbe, Howard White, Federico Bogna, Tom Wardell, Iain Boothby, Matt Smith, Colin Begg, Liam Richardson, Chad Snihur, Jason Toms, Matt Semple, Sean Purdie

Meet the Girls #4 - Emma Holland

Ice and Hong Kong fly-half Emma Holland offers her opinions on the redundancy of referees and, well, her favourite men. Curiously she does not mention 'Heart Throb' Rob Toresco. Surely an oversight on her part? AH

Name: Emma Holland

Age: 28

Occupation: Lady of Leisure by day, full-time student by night - unless anyone is looking to hire an engineer?

Nationality: British

Rugby position: Fly-half

Previous rugby clubs: Pennsylvania State University Rugby Team

Favourite things about HKFC rugby: My teammates!

One thing you would change/introduce: more women playing rugby - don't they know what they're missing out on?

Most embarrassing rugby experience: Well, my most recent one would've been at the Asian World Cup Qualifiers. We'd just run out for the first game, Hong Kong were due to kick off, the adrenaline is rushing and the girls are all fired up and raring to go. Both teams are ready, so I take the kick off and one of my teammates lines up an amazing dump tackle on the receiver and drives her back a mile. Suddenly horns and whistles alike start blaring. Apparently you need a referee ON the pitch to start the game... Damn, well, I thought I'd try!

Meat or Veggies? Can't I have both?

Beer or Cocktails? Cocktails. Anything with vodka would suit me just fine

Mint/Prive/Drop or Devils/Mes Amis/Dusk Til Dawn? Surely all of the above? Although there are no guarantees I'll remember any of it by the end of the evening.

Gerard Butler or Orlando Bloom? Neither! I'm thinking Daniel Craig, Matthew McConaughey... I could go on

Cosmopolitan or Erica Jong? I'd take Cosmo any day

Meet the Girls #3 - Royce Chan

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Royce Chan, Ice's outstanding hooker and general enforcer. In the candid interview below, Royce reveals her soft spot for a certain Club physio and her love for the Hong Kong tabloid press. AH

Name: Royce Chan

Age: Get me drunk and I will let you know

Occupation: Assistant Property Officer

Nationality: Chinese

Rugby position: I want to be a scrum-half or fly-half, but coaches insist I'm a hooker

Previous rugby clubs: Luckily I started at HKFC and I'm looking forward to finishing there

Favourite things about HKFC rugby: Wider vision from my lovely team-mates and Mungo (I learned a lot from him)

One thing you would change/introduce: Summer Camp for the younglings

Most embarrassing rugby experience: When I couldn't finish a lap of Happy Valley at a rugby training session...

Meat or Veggies: Meat for sure, although I look like a vegetarian

Beer or Cocktails: Cocktails or shots - except tequila as I want to stay awake longer

Mint/Prive/Drop or Devils/Mes Amis/Dusk Til Dawn? What is this? I like coffee shops!

Gerard Butler or Orlando Bloom? Aiya, don't like either. I like Josh Harnett.

Cosmopolitan or Erica Jong? English is too complicated... I like Apple Daily

Life in the Ice Age

First of all, congratulations to Royce Chan, Kim Kan, and Antje Keim for making the Women's XV National Squad. They will be heading to Singapore in two weeks for two test matches against Singapore, used as a build-up to the Asian World Cup Qualifiers in 2009. Royce Chan will also be one of the Captains of the squad.

After substantial wins over the past two weeks, Ice is now the undefeated champions after Round 1 of the Women's League. According to the schedule, we now have a much needed rest before coming face to face with the ladies of CWB Phoenix again, followed by yet another clash with those known as Valley. So for now we will let things thaw a bit.

Back to the past two weekends. We at Ice decided that it might be best to lump the past two weeks of write-up into one as there really wasn't much to write about due to the bulldozer known as GAICE. The weekend before saw us pitted against the ladies of DeA Tigers at HKFC. For those who saw the game, I'm sure you will all agree it was a sound thrashing, despite the excellent DEA defense. Tries were scored by Kim Kan (x2), Emmy Chan, Fiona Foxon, and Royce Chan brought the score to 27-0.

This past weekend saw us against the combined team of Aberdeen and Kowloon, fondly known as Abaloon. Unlike DEA, whose team consists of mainly petite 18-year-olds, Abaloon has its share of sizable girls. Add the fact that the game is played on the Valley Pitch (a.k.a the Dustbowl) where the pitch becomes a sandstorm if more than one person runs and you can see it presents a big challenge indeed.

In the end though, it was once again our speed and fitness that won us the game. Tries were scored by Ah Ying, Ah Kwan, Royce, Emmy and Monster [Any relation to Animal? A.H.], with one successful conversion from Emma Holland, ending the game at 27-0 (again).

Club hold on against spirited DEA

From JP

Following a good second half demolition of Causeway Bay last week, Club came up a resurgent DEA whose tails were up following their victory over Aberdeen the previous week. Having already beaten DEA soundly in the pre-season Plate Knock-Out Final a few weeks previous, Club were quietly confident that they could repeat the feat up at King's Park on Saturday evening.

DEA started strongly and soon gained the upper hand, however. It was only due to a heroic tap tackle from Danny Parr on the right wing that saved us going down by a try five minutes into the game. The first half was one of the most frustrating 40 minutes of rugby the boys had probably ever played in, with a constant barrage of whistle-blowing from Hong Kong’s finest. Trying to be somewhat diplomatic, I must say I do not have the foggiest what on earth most of the penalties were for.

Naturally, "Left Hook" Rory Hussey was right in the mix and no doubt gave away a few penalties for being an Irish version of Michael Bolton. Tim Griffin stepped up in the heat of the battle and gave us an amusing display when taking on the four foot tall opposition scrum half. Other than that, we were penalized constantly in the scrums for no other reason other than pushing. This was hugely frustrating for the boys as it didn’t allow us to get into a pattern and get through some phases. The DEA line out was working well, helping them stay in the game and enable them to kick a few goals and keep things very tight going into half time. Thankfully we managed to get our noses in front with a superb try from Pat Foreman in open play with the ball changing hands many times and delighting the away crowd of the resident Scorps drunkards!

The second half was a better display albeit frustrating because of our decision making and pressing the panic button when in the final third. Despite that, there were a huge amount of positive factors in the second half as the Piggies stepped it up on the physicality front with the likes of Ridgeway, Watson, Bolland and Washington making some hard yards despite being about as mobile as parking meters. The back row also started to gel and get around the park negating the impact of the DEA back row led by Nigel Clarke who as always had a strong game. In Club's back row, there were solid performances from Marin, Michael Bolton & Tim Edgar.

There was some super stuff in the backs as well with the likes of Jimmy Kibble and Pat Foreman imposing themselves and getting across the gainline, bringing in the pace boys of Perkins, McKee and Raby. Unfortunately, when it came to making our mark from set pieces and finishing in their 22, we failed to deliver.

The good news is that the boys are coming close to gelling and being a much more complete unit, which is just as well with much harder tests to come. With the score at 13-6 with 10 minutes to go, we failed to take one or two kicks at goal that would have put us out of sight. The good news for the crowd and Q’s hernia was that this created a thrilling ending, with DEA camped in our 22 for the final 5 minutes trying to steal a draw from nowhere. Thankfully due to a gutsy defensive display, we held them out and breathed a huge sigh of relief when the whistle blew for full time rather than another penalty against Club! The final spectacle was watching Tim Griffin having a row with a dustbin.

Well done lads – plenty of positives to build on for the impending almighty smash against Valley next week at home.

Rugby Section – bring your vocal cords please and Man Up! Ta, JP

Drags go down fighting against world's largest standing army

From Condor (aka Murray Sargant)

Expectations were once again high as we assembled to leave for darkest Guangzhou in the club lobby. This was a little too early for some on a Saturday but nontheless everyone made it and we bused over to Hung Hom for the first leg of our long journey north. One small detail was that I managed to get everyone to the station a full hour before the train - sorry for that. Not a big issue, I thought, but later in the afternoon that decision did come back to haunt me in the traditional fines session.

On a positive note the extra time did prove somewhat useful as we fuelled up at Starbucks and a couple of the lads purchased remote toy helicopters which they proceeded to fly around the entire station, occasionally divebombing incoming passengers, to everyone's collective amusement. Finally we boarded the train north and we left the relative comfort of Hong Kong and headed across the border into Red China. Spirits were high - for half a dozen guys, this was their first trip to China, and what better way to see it then on a rugby tour?

After what seemed like half a day we finally arrived in Guangzhou and walked the 500 meters to the PLA barracks. The PLA seem to be out in force a we counted 41 players warming up. Marc spoke to the PLA coach only to find out the China national sevens team were in town and would be joining the PLA side this day. It was at this point that we realised it was going to potentially be a long day in the office. With both Marc and I making up the Dragons' 22 players, we were short of depth - not an ideal situation to be in on a hot day in Guangzhou playing against Team China.

Warming up was pretty easy because just putting on your boots raised a sweat, so it didn't take long. The first two minutes of the game were all Drags. We won the first two or three rucks and then shifted the ball out wide. Unfortunately the ball went to ground and, in a blink of an eye, the PLA backs seized the opportunity to counter-attack. They shifted the ball across the park with lightning speed (as you would expect from international sevens players) and raced into the corner for what was the first of five unanswered tries and a very long afternoon.

On the positive side, our scrum was led in the front row by Richard Gallagher, Pete Sheren and Steve "Horse" Nolan and battled well. The Chinese front row was getting a good work out and we always made it hard for the PLA to get the ball out cleanly. Well done to the entire pack led once again by our returning team captain, Marcus Neil, who, for the record, was our man of the match.

In the backs, it wasn't as much fun. The PLA always seemed to having dozens of players willing to run at us and speed to burn on the outside. Junior Naylor played well and Stuart McGraw managed a couple of mini-breaks, but it was prop Richard Gallagher who came the closest to scoring, only to be denied by the referee's forward pass ruling. There were some fantastic try-saving tackles from Simon Shoebridge and Nik Brunner, proving that the Drags spirit was alive and well. Despite the defeat, we can all be proud of the way the team played.

As the afternoon continued, injuries started to be a major factor with Wally pulling his hamstring, Pete Sheren breaking his foot and Gordon Marsden suffering back spasms. Soon our thin bench was used up and we still had 30 minutes to play. With no more reserves to send into action, Marc recruited the services of a Tongan exchange student who happened to be training with the PLA this week. He was an excellent recruit and helped the Drags play in the way we have become used to in the second half. In the end, though, it wasn't enough. At the final whistle, we were 29 points to zero in the red and a very tired and dejected Drags team left the field.

Following last year's close defeat in Guangzhou, this was a stinging loss and one that we all will remember for a long time to come. The fact is that we came up against a very determined PLA side who were the better team on the day. Hats off to Drags, though. We didn't stop trying all afternoon and worked harder than ever to turn things around. It was a defeat, but Marc and I both feel very proud of the way you boys played. We now need to move on and concentrate more than ever on next week and the games ahead.

The trip home was as entertaining as usual with Junior taking control as the fines as both judge, jury and executioner. As international touring rules applied, we obviously can't divulge too many of the details but suffice to say the new boys will remember this trip for many years to come. All of them had a chicken's foot to suck on along with many beers and a hefty supply of plum wine. In short we had a huge and entertaining trip back. Amongst other things we came together as a stronger team because of the experience and that is surely one of the best thing about playing rugby. Marc and I (or should I say Cheetah and Condor) had great fun getting things organised and having the chance to bring a tremendous bunch of lads together on tour in China.

Condor

Nomads feel the Scorpion's sting

I get the feeling Bouch is all at sea with this analogy but what the heck, he's enjoying himself...

Communique

To: Rear Admiral the Lord Adam Harperington-Blogsmythe, KCV A, RSE B, UM with Distinction

From: Commander of HMS Scorpion

Ref: Invasion of Kowloon Peninsula

Sir,

As instructed by Fleet HQ, HMS Scorpion undertook their planned invasion of the Kowloon Peninsula this Saturday last. We encountered some spirited resistance from a local force of Nomads but after several minutes skirmishing, we were able to fire off several successful salvos. As the engagement continued, the crew battled with structure and cohesion for periods whilst also managing to allow the opposition forces to appear as if they could resist. I have advised the crew that this sort of lapse in discipline is not to be tolerated and after the Nomadic force had been defeated by 52 hits to nil, we maintained station and undertook several essential keel-haulings as required by military convention. All members of the crew took their punishment like the men they are.

To be mentioned in dispatches:
Lieutenant Commander Giles Disney-LargeOick, despite his appalling lower middle class accent, the man charged with selecting our forces for this encounter did a more than sterling job and was suitable rewarded after the match. Unfortunately I was unable to formally present him with the MOTB medal as one of the previous crew members has neglected to return it. He will be scrubbing the decks appropriately.

Ensigns Nieto, Beckett, and Bowring and former Captain of the Vessel Shane Farmhand-Wallis performed very well and were responsible for the vast majority of the hits we achieved, for which the command structure were dutifully grateful. It is worth noting that unfortunately Commander Sir Watsonian-Northernbottom was detained in port due to hosting members of the Singaporean navy who had mysteriously arrived for a shared tour of duty. However when informed of the extent of our victory, Sir W-N was extremely pleased.

Once again, the entire for'rard section performed with distinction although our aeriel support group, used when we were at the edge of the battlefield, needed a little work. I fear another trip to HMS TrainingField!

Finally, it is my sad duty to report that certain elements of the for'rard section were forced to retire from the engagement after I had sent in all of the available reserve force. (Able Seaman Frost (very unable at this point) was suitably keel-hauled.) Faced with leaving a hole in the strength of the attack, I was forced into the engagement myself. I am pleased however to report that my intervention didn't cause too much embarrassment and I am grateful to Master Chief Petty Officer Yataka Yazawa-san, on loan from His Imperial Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, who bailed me out of a potentially nasty surprise when I found myself isolated deep behind enemy lines, attempting to grasp some advantage from Cabin Boy French's bizarre use of the foot as an attacking weapon. Indeed suffice it to say all of the crew found it slightly amusing from one so large.

I am also delighted to inform fleet command that we maintained a small force to lend support to the fleet's primary aircraft carrier group led by HMS Club, who also achieved victory. I am however duty bound to point out that several members of their crew appeared to be from the colonies, who had the affrontery to engage in a social game of rugger this weekend last at Fleet HQ, and heaven forbid, humiliate Fleet's finest. I assure you sir that no such tomfoolery was allowed in our crew and former Captain of Vessel Farmhand-Wallis was the only foreigner we allowed aboard ship, the fact of which we also gleefully reminded him.

I remain, in victory, your humble servant,

Commander Her Britannic Majesty's Ship Scorpion, Sir Andrew Bouchington-Blithertwit, KCV A, NGRY, TWA, T with bar

End Communique

Meet the Girls #2 - Kim Kan

Above: Kim in international action
















Above: On the charge for Ice with trail of opponents in her wake


Name: Kim K. K. Kan (yes, there are alot of Ks in my name)
Age: 27
Occupation: Business Development Executive
Nationality: Chinese/Canadian (or Canasian for short)
Rugby position: Front row (mainly Loose-head), Number 8 and wing on very special occasions (Nigel Hobler is my role model)
Previous rugby clubs: Cornell Women's Rugby Football Club
Favourite things about HKFC rugby: The fact we have a bar within 100m of the pitch, the banter from PT McGee, and the pool of course! [Editor's note: The Sportsman's is much closer. I have researched this.]
One thing you would change/introduce: Spectator attendance to the Ice games!
Most embarrassing rugby experience: The first year I moved back to Hong Kong, I played in the Country of Origin tournament for the "Rest of the World Team" in an exhibition 7s match. I was apparently either really speedy or the opposition was really slow because I managed to score three tries by beating the wingers every time in the first hall. I went for another run up the sideline and was at the try line when I managed to trip over my own feet and knocked the ball forward without anyone else being within 10 meters. Most embarrassingly, there was a collective "Ohhhhhh...." from the full Aberdeen Stadium!
Meat or Veggies? Give me a hunk of bloody meat any day!
Beer or Cocktails? I am a mojito and capirinha fiend, but G&T is my staple.
Mint/Prive/Drop or Devils/Mes Amis/Dusk Til Dawn? I believe a good night out involves all those places plus Solas!
Gerard Butler or Orlando Bloom? Haven't you seen 300? Those abs.....
Cosmopolitan or Erica Jong? Poolside - Cosmopolitan. Otherwise, I prefer interesting reads - Tolkien and Frank Herbert are on the top of my list.

Meet the Girls - Fiona Foxon

We at the Blog are all about the 'One Club' dream and it is with great pleasure that I present the first in a new set of features to you today. You've had 'Meet the New Lads' and even 'Meet the Old Boys' (and what a collection of ne'er-do-wells they were). Now it's the turn of the ladies. May I introduce to you the first personality in our new series of 'Meet the Girls' - the one and only Fiona Foxon.














Above: Fiona surges forward. Her would-be tackler appears content to keep a close eye on her rather than attempting any kind of tackle at this stage.















Above: And this is why. Fiona delivers a mean-looking fend to an Aberdeen tackler.

Name: Fiona Foxon
Age: A lady never tells and a gentleman never asks
Occupation: Marketing and Business Development Executive
Nationality: British and Singaporean, oh and quasi-American...
Rugby position: Scrum-half/Centre
Previous rugby clubs: University of Virginia Women's Rugby Team
Favourite things about HKFC rugby: The pitch, and my teammates!
One thing you would change/introduce: A mandatory post-match drink up with the opposing team, with songs...lots of songs! [Hear, hear! Harps]
Most embarrassing rugby experience: My first 22 drop out. Had no idea what it was and somehow found myself with the ball. People are screaming instructions at me to tap the ball over the line, drop kick it and just get rid of the darn thing. So I did all three, much to the amusement of the ref and the crowd. They called me 23 for the rest of the season.
Meat or Veggies? Meat stuffed with veggies
Beer or Cocktails? Cocktails
Mint/Prive/Drop or Devils/Mes Amis/Dusk Til Dawn? How about Drop/Mes Amis/Dusk Til Dawn [You'd go to Drop first??]
Gerard Butler or Orlando Bloom? No way! Give me Hugh Jackman or Patrick Dempsey any day.
Cosmopolitan or Erica Jong? Not all ladies' rugby players are lessies! Cosmopolitan all the way.

NB: For those of you who are wondering (and I was), Erica Jong is a writer. Wikipedia says that: "Jong is best known for her first novel, Fear of Flying, first published in 1973, which created a sensation with its frank treatment of a woman's sexual desires."

Holed below the waterline

Communique to: Rear Admiral Lord Harperington-Blogsmythe,

From: Commander of HMS Scorpion

Ref: Recent engagement with Imperial Battle Cruiser Dragon

Sir,

It is my solemn duty to report that HMS Scorpion suffered substantial damage at the hands of the Imperial Battlecruiser Dragon this Saturday last.

Upon entering the battle zone, we engaged the enemy but their superior speed in the aft section caused severe damage to our hull.

It is however my pleasure to report that the entire crew stuck to their stations with admirable bravery and devotion to duty. Of particular mention in this dispatch must be the entire for'ard section of the ship which held firm despite the attentions of the enemy, who appeared to be led by a horse!

The battle was short and somewhat sobering, so Sir Watsonian-Nothernbottom and I decided to make for the neutral wet harbour of Sportsmansk, where it seems our foe had also docked. Despite the attention of a particularly annoying pair of the enemy who appeared boringly bald and foreign and variously short and mildly facially hirsute, we were able to surmise that the ship was repairable despite the 62 hits we received.

By way of note, your lordship, we managed to land 7 shots ourselves to what had been previously a virtually impregnable defence. We have therefore made our way to dry dock at HMS TrainingField, where we will attempt to seal leaks before making way to the expected battle across the channel at Kingsypark on Saturday next.

Additional mention in this dispatch must be given to Able-Seamen Wilde and French who battled valiantly despite a severe bout of sea-sickness during a midway lull in the battle.

Yours in expectation of a reversal of fortune,

Commander Her Britannic Majesty's Ship Scorpion, Sir Andrew Bouchington-Blithertwit.

End Communique

Sargant Speaks: Drags demolish Scorps

Murray's inimitable analysis of Drags' victory over our brethren in Scorps, plus a look ahead at Drags' trip to Guangzhou this Saturday. Playing the PLA away always seems to attract superlatives. Dinks once said they had the best lineout in Asia bar the Japanese national team. And Muzz is comparing playing at GZ to playing away at Twickenham or Eden Park. Frankly I think the similarities are limited. I haven't played at either of those stadia myself but I'd be willing to bet they have changing rooms and that you can have a shower without risk of catching typhoid at both. Harps

PS: What he would appear not to mention is the score - it was about 50-7.

Sargant Speaks:

These inter club games are always entertaining and this one was know exception with both teams prepared for a tough encounter. In years gone by we have ended up with both teams having extensive injuries but on this occasion it was a hard but fair contest with the only concern coming from some very mysterious referring decisions. More from him next weekend I suspect as we play PLA. In the first half it started off with both sets of forwards testing each other out. This is always the most difficult time in Drags Vs Scorps clashes as both teams are fresh and looking to make an impact.

Quickly though it became apparent that Drags strength lay in our backline attack with Stewart Magraw cross for the first of four tries. After that it was an entertaining affair with tries coming in from all over the park. The Drags backline was on fire and the passing and inte! rchange between them made the coach Marc Sexton confirm this the best backline display from a Drags team this season.

In all we scored four more tries with Tim Robinson, Richard Gallagher (the only forward to score in the first half) Magraw a second and finally Baz Perkins crossing for a great first half. Five tries to zero. In the second half we expected much of the same but Scorps had different idea's and they came out of the half time break with renewed energy. Some solid forward work from our brothers in Scorps resulted in better field position and inevitably a strong forwards surge ended with a try for Scorps which was well converted by Dave Beckett.

For our part we had a number of outstanding backline drives and continued to score even if it did mean we had to run the entire length of the ground to do it. The "Gas Man" Raby opened up the second half and also lead the kicking game with six conversions in all a solid display. Next to cross was Guy Payne our Captain for the day (congratulations Guy) playing a loose flanking role coming in from out wide, then ! Callum Nieto and finally another two tries for Stewart Magraw.

Man of the match was Baz Perkins for his sublime running skills which broke the Scorps backline on many occasions setting up a number of the tries and also crossing for two others although only one will count as the referee adjudged that Baz dropped the ball over the line. Clearly David Guthrie feels the record should reflect a try saving tackle from him but that shouldn't surprise anyone. No matter what the circumstances Baz had a great game so congratulations. Another Man of the match on debut.

All in all a great win and we continue on as leaders of the division with nex! t weekend being our game of the season against our arch rivals PL A. Last season this fixture was are only loss so it holds a huge challenge for the entire team. This season we want to go undefeated so the game next weekend in Guangzhou is vital. Last year we lost 12-17 in a hard fought contest and I know PLA are fired up to repeat the result this time around. Fact is they have home ground advantage and to say the crowd is hostile is an understatement.

We play in the army grounds and every other soldier comes out to watch and cheer the mighty PLA to a glorious Chinese victory. It's like playing the All Blacks at Eden Park, Wales at Cardiff Arms or England at Twickenham, you get the idea. This is more than a game for them, it's a battle and that's exactly what we have to understand in order to win. We need to take this week at training and the game seriously and as it's an international trip so I do need some help with lo! gistics.

Select storm Typhoons

Above: The Wongster shows us the value of a good body position in the tackle. Yes I know this isn't the game against Typhoons but it's the latest Select picture I have and it's rather good.

From Mr Sean Purdie of the "Mighty" Select



Select 29 - 12 Typhoons

A solid win on the Valley pitch with tries from Alex Smith, Paul Ahearne, Simon Shoebridge, Rob Toresco and Sully. Matt Semple kicked two conversions.

Our player of the day was Nick O’Brien (3 points) who got everywhere and showed what high levels of fitness can do. Other honourable mentions for Paul Ahearne (2 points) for his high work rate, although I saw him on Sunday with a cast on his wrist, and Alex “Smudger” Smith (1 point) and the tackling award

Heinous Crime Division – Tony George, midfield break to set up Sully for a try, then pointing to heaven as Sully lumbered in under the crossbar; Matt Semple – how to drop the ball when over the try line; Colin Wong - putting his name on the teamlist twice.