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Sports Reporter
HOSTS Hong Kong made life difficult for Zimbabwe in their Hong Kong Nations Cup rugby opener, destroying the Sables 30-11 in the East Asia country yesterday.
The Sables yesterday failed their first test in Hong Kong, starting their campaign on the wrong footing.
Hong Kong needed four tries, two of them converted and two penalties for the win while Zimbabwe only managed two penalties and a try in response.
Zimbabwe were porous in the first half conceding 20 points as the Asians went into the break commanding a 20-0 lead.
Hong Kong fielded eight new players in their match day 23, who included prop Rohan Cook, flanker James Cunningham, winger Brad Raper and centre Lex Kaleca.
Zimbabwe also had their own share of debutantes in the form of former Young Sables captain and flanker Alva Senderayi, Ngoni Chibuwe, Malvern Maparura and Kuziva Kazembe who was on the bench.
It was a game of three segments, Hong Kong dominating in the first half, Zimbabwe taking charge of the game early in the second period but the hosts once again took control of events to emerge as the ultimate winners.
Hong Kong were the first on the scoreboard through a deadlock-breaking penalty by flyhalf Benjamin Rimene for a 3-0 lead and it was not long before they extended their lead through a well worked unconverted try by scrummy Thomas Marshall for an 8-0 lead.
It continued to be one way traffic against the Sables when Charlie Higson-Smith weighed in with one of his own and Hong Kong were also awarded a penalty try, Rimene making amends for his earlier missed chance to give Hong Kong a 20-0 lead going into the break.
Then it was the Sables turn to take partial dominance led by captain Denford Mutamangira.
Flyhalf and vice-captain Tichafara Makwanya made amends for the Sables, reducing the arrears through two penalties, Zimbabwe opting to go for the posts as they could not break through the Hong Kong defence.
However, his boot was not accurate when it came to the conversion and this was the last time Zimbabwe had any real chance of coming back into the game.
Hong Kong took it away once again, a penalty and a converted try killing it off as a contest with time running out, sending eruptions of joy into the hosts camp and all Zimbabwe could afford were long faces.
Squads
Sables (1-15): D Mutamangira, R Mwale, F Mudariki, J Ferreira, M Wolfenden, A Senderayi, B Tshamala, A Rose, C Jiji, T Makwanya, T Mhende, N Chibuwe, M Maparura, G Sibanda, L Tshuma
Replacements: N Nyemba, B Makamure, T Murwira, D Kapuya, S Sibanda, G Sipapati, K Kazembe.
Hong Kong (1-15): Rohan Cook, Alex Harris, Jack Parfitt, Jack Delaforce, Adrian Griffiths, James Cunningham, Matt Lamming, Nick Hewson (c), Tom Marshall, Ben Rimene, Brad Raper, Lex Kaleca*, Tyler Spitz, Charles Higson-Smith, Edmund Rolston
Replacements: Alex Ng Wai-shing, Jamie Tsang, Jamie Pincot, Paul Dwyer, Toby Fenn, Charles Cheung Ho-ning, Niall Rowark, Jamie Robinson.
Online Reporter