High-flying Valley Black, Gai Wu Falcons to face off in gripping end-of-season showdown
The highlight of this weekend’s HKRU Women’s Premiership triple-header at King’s Park will be the end-of-season clash between league champions Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies and league runners-up CPM Gai Wu Falcons.
The highlight of this weekend’s HKRU Women’s Premiership triple-header at King’s Park will be the end-of-season clash between league champions Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies and league runners-up CPM Gai Wu Falcons.
Valley boast the longest unbeaten run in Hong Kong rugby – 25 matches without loss – and a win over arch-rivals Gai Wu on Saturday would complete two perfect seasons and put them in prime position to defend their Grand Championship play-offs crown.
As an indication of the competitiveness between these two sides, Valley’s last reversal came at the hands of Gai Wu in the 2013-14 Grand Championship –a match that was decided by a single try.
It will be a good game, but more about attrition than blinding long runs. They go for discipline and running down the flanks. We look to our contact strength to keep up unrelenting pressure
In a hard-fought contest between the two sides earlier this season, Valley muscled their way to a 15-3 result with a defining second-half performance. On Saturday, they will again look to keep the action focused in the centre of the field.
“Gai Wu are extremely quick on the wing and have probably the best front-row in the Premiership but we should have an edge in midfield,” Valley coach Chris Garvey said.
“Our forwards continue to do an admirable job, while our backline has become extremely competitive, having previously struggled to get the ball over the line enough to make bonus points.
“Now we have girls on the bench who can come on and perform. There are no passengers in this side,” Garvey added.
Valley and Hong Kong veteran Colleen Tjosvold echoed Garvey’s reckoning.
