Pressure cooker: Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones calls for more tours after Nairobi belting
Visitors fail to execute basic skills as match-hardened Kenyans outmuscle and outrun Hong Kong on the way to a 34-10 triumph
Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones has called for more overseas tours after his side were exposed under intense Kenyan pressure in a 34-10 loss in Nairobi last night.
Hong Kong had players missing, blooded youth and went in with a lack of match practice, but their inability to execute basic tackles and passes in the one-off test showed there is a long road ahead.
“It’s important we play against strong opposition away from home and learn to cope with the pressure,” Jones said.
“The step up is just too much for them and it just forces a large number of errors. We need more fixtures like this to improve. It’s pointless playing in our backyard... against teams that send their second team to Hong Kong.”
The final score flattered Hong Kong, with Kenya taking the gas off late and the majority of the damage done in the first hour.
Hong Kong lacked continuity and gave the ball away on a number of occasions as the home side streaked to a 34-3 lead.
