Live Stream | HKRU RugbyPass.com Men's Premiership Game of the Week: Hong Kong Scottish vs Kowloon RFC

Watch in-form Scottish and Kowloon light up the HKRU RugbyPass.com Men’s Premiership Round Nine live at 4:30pm HKT, Saturday December 10.

The Societe Generale Valley and Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC clash may be forced to take a back seat this weekend, with Bloomberg HK Scottish and Kowloon set to light up round nine of the HKRU RugbyPass.com Men’s Premiership.

While Valley and HKCC have dominated the league in recent years, it is Scottish and Kowloon who are the current form sides and it will be a sight to behold when they meet at Shek Kip Mei at 4.30pm on Saturday.

Not to say that Valley and HKCC won’t put on a show at Aberdeen, also at 4.30pm, with HKCC in desperate need of win if they are to stay in touch with the table leaders.

The final match between Natixis HKFC and Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers (King’s Park, 4.30pm) will effectively decide who is sitting at bottom at Christmas.

Kowloon has been the surprise packet since the international break, knocking off both Valley and HKCC and playing a brand of rugby that is both uncompromising and fluent.

For coach James Scaysbrook, he hopes that more of the same will hold his side in good stead against a rampant Scottish who has strung together four wins in a row.

“They have been playing really well of late and have really added to their game from this time last year,” Scaysbrook said.

“We’re looking for as many positive actions in our game as possible and trying to knit them together, the more series of positive actions, whether its attack or defence, that you put back-to-back, they’re the things that help you get the end result.”

Scaysbrook has watched the partnership of young fly half Jack Neville and former England international Olly Barkley develop beautifully over the past two weeks.

“I think Jack has really played well the last couple of weeks, he is really learning off Olly and our game management has been better,” he said.

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While the Kowloon backs have been particularly menacing, Scaysbrook was quick to turn his attention to the work his forwards have done as a collective.

“It’s difficult to single out the forwards, there is a lot of guys in the forwards who are getting on and doing their job really well,” he said.

“This means the overall performance is getting better as everyone is looking after their individual performance.”

Scottish will be without star winger Marcus Ramage and four others who are on the current under 19 tour to Malaysia, but Hammond says Chiefs development players Lars Morrice and Josh Dowsing are settling in nicely.

“They had their first start last week and were impressive,” Hammond said.

“Lars got through a lot of work which is what we want, just a grunter up front, and Josh is pretty menacing around the breakdown area and loves to get ball in hand. They have added to our side really nicely.”

Hammond is expecting a completely different Kowloon side to the one Scottish dispatched 28-13 in October and is wary of what Barkley brings to the table.

“We know what we’re up for on Saturday so it’s going to be a big challenge for us,” he said.

“We are under no illusion that, you look at Kowloon over the last couple of weeks, they have been playing some really good rugby. They are a well-rounded team and I think Olly Barkley has done a bit of magic their with their attack and how they’re playing, he’s a pretty switched on cookie.”

HKCC coach Kevin West admits his side has not been at the top of its game in recent times, but takes confidence from the five-point win the Cricketers posted against Valley in their last meeting.

“We went well against them last time when we beat them and we have some idea of what they are doing,” he said.

“Even last week [against Kowloon], we had the opportunities and if we finish them, the result changes.”

As is in the norm in the six-team Premiership, West knows exactly what to expect from Valley and is preparing his charges for a brutal encounter.

“We expect it to be physical and we expect the breakdown to be pretty hotly contested,” he said.

“They are a team that are really good at applying pressure so we need to be able to absorb that and apply some pressure ourselves.”

The match between current cellar-dwellers HKFC and Tigers is a must win for HKFC if they are to keep their hopes of winning the league alive, while Tigers will be keen to snap a five-match losing streak.

Football Club showed signs of hitting its straps in a 12-point loss to Scottish last weekend and will be eager to carry on that form.

It will be looking to the likes of scrum half Max Page and bustling forward Jevon Groves – an ex-Wales sevens player – to lead the way.