Match Report: Friday Night Lights #1
Friday Night Lights arrived at HKFC for the first time this season, and it proved to be quite the memorable occasion.
Tyler McNutt, Pierce Mackinlay-West, and Tommy Hill all made their first appearances of HKFC Natixis Club’s Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership , returning to HKFC colours after representing Hong Kong China during the Autumn Internationals. They were joined by Max Murphy, who pulled on the HKFC jersey for his senior debut having earned his first international cap in the same Autumn campaign. This was also new Head Coach Ben Siffleet’s first match in charge.
First Half
HKFC Natixis Club got off to a roaring start, with Quintony Ngatai kicking a 50:22 after the first scrum of the game. That was soon followed by a rolling maul that saw Madison Hunting through for an easy first score which Tommy Hill converted (7-0).
Milwaukee HK Scottish managed to shave off 3 points from the lead through a long-range penalty, but it wasn’t long before the forwards were back at it – scoring off another driving maul to give Hunting a brace after just 11 minutes (14-3).
The Friday Night Lights crowd might’ve thought they were experiencing Déjà vu with another long-range penalty; but further aerial pressure from a Ngatai kick saw Club continue to probe deep into Scottish territory. After several forward carries close to the line, it was Ngatai who dived over from close-range (21-6).
The second quarter saw the flow of play even out with both sides competing for territory. It was HKFC Natixis Club who again came out on top – with great interplay between Mackinlay-West, Robbie Fergusson and Hunting, followed by a beautiful tip by Hill see Max Murphy dive over for his first senior try in Club colours (26-6).
Not to be satisfied – more Club pressure saw an opportunity for what looked like another driving maul from 5 metres out. Instead, we saw a well-worked trick play allow Hunting to dive over for a first-half hat trick. A great touch-line conversion from Hill ended a hugely successful half (HT 33-6).
Second Half
There must have been some tough words at half-time from HK Scottish coach Ngatai Walker – as Scottish came out firing after the break. The Club defence was soon seen scrambling, and Scottish managed to pull one back (33-13).
More periods of HK Scottish attack then saw the Club set piece come under pressure, with Club’s scrum camped on their 5 metre line. Despite surviving that pressure initially, Club’s defence was again breached to see HK Scottish claw another back within 10 minutes (33-20).
It didn’t get much better for the men in blue & white as Scottish continued to revert to the scrum. A yellow card to Callum McFeat-Smith at tighthead prop added to their troubles and it wasn’t long until James Holmes was also on a warning at loosehead prop. That forced Siffleet to put Tom Fowler on for his first appearance of the season – who managed to change the tide and earn a penalty for Club to settle the crowd’s nerves.
Into the final quarter saw some prudence from Club, with the side electing for 3 points – which would force Scottish into needing 3 points to take the lead (36-20) and take time away from the yellow card.
Those 3 points seemed to let Club get back into their groove, with another driving maul try seeing Hunting cross over for his fourth on the evening (41-20). The last 10 minutes saw Scottish pressing hard to get a late bonus point: despite a late score Club’s defence largely held firm – with the full-time sitting at 41-27.
The win gives HKFC Natixis Club a much needed 5 points as they look to surge back to the top of the table in the Nan Fung | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership. Focus will now be on next week’s match up against current league leaders Societe Generale Valley RFC (2:50pm, Happy Valley 6, Saturday 13th December).