EUROPEAN RUGBY TOUR: Hong Kong Start Against Germany

11.12.2010
Hong Kong v Germany in Heidelberg

Venue: Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark

Referee: Radu Petrescu (Romania)

Preview
This is Hong Kong's second tour of Europe, the first being at this time last year. I can't work out why the tour is in December and not November.

Both sides are not fielding their top sides.For Germany their France and Italian-based players have not been called upon along with former captain Jens Schmidt.

The side about to begin its European tour is without a number of key players. "I see Mark Wright and one other player who is at Toyota Shokki aren`t in the touring party. As TS are struggling in their first year in the TL and it`s outside the IRBs club release period I`m sure the reason is that they refused to release him. I saw that he started in their game last weekend which started the TL`s 2nd half of its regular season after a month long hiatus due to international XVs and the Asian Games where Wright did play. Keith Robertson and Rowan Varty are also missing. I think one of them is the other player at TS. In fact lots of regulars missing. this is more like a HKG A side so with the conditions and their inexperience they may struggle v Germany and mightn't be such a mismatch v Norway". View expressed by 'Yamaha Kiwi' at http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3643 who has lived previously for some time in Japan.

Other previews
http://www.hkrugby.com/en/node/1406

Previous Encounter
12.12.2009 Germany 24-14 in Heidelberg

GWC Rugby Rankings
World Table-Germany 25th, Hong Kong 29th

IRB Ranking Points
Germany 53.34, Hong Kong 52.49

Prediction: Germany by 13 points

Teams

Hong Kong Squad
Timothy Alexander (Valley Rugby Club)
Ross Armour (Valley Rugby Club)
Renaud Chavanis (Valley Rugby Club)
Chik, Alvin Man Hon (Valley Rugby Club)
Charles French (Hong Kong Football Club)
Mark Goosen (Kowloon RFC)
Alexander Harris (Kowloon RFC)
Anthony Haynes (Hong Kong Cricket Club)
Nicholas Hewson (Valley Rugby Club)
Hong, Pak To CWB Sharks RFC)
Kenneth Hsieh (Hong Kong Cricket Club)
Lee Jones (Valley Rugby Club)
Oliver Jones (Hong Kong Football Club)
Phil Leung (DeA Rugby Club)
Andrew Li (Kowloon RFC)
Thomas McColl (Kowloon RFC)
Ng, Alex Wai Shing (Valley Rugby Club)
Matthew Nuttall (DeA Rugby Club)
Matthew Price (DeA Rugby Club)
Adam Raby (Hong Kong Football Club)
Carl Rojens (Valley Rugby Club)
Niall Rowark (Valley Rugby Club)
Simon Smith (Hong Kong Cricket Club)
Pale Tauti (DeA Rugby Club)
Wei, Hon Sum (University of Surrey RFC, England)
Yiu, Salom Kam Shing (Valley Rugby Club)
Head Coach: Dai Rees

Adapted from http://www.hkrugby.com/en/node/1406

Germany Squad
Kehoma Brenner (Heidelberger RK)
Anjo Buckman (Heidelberger RK)
Mustafa Güngör (RG Heidelberg)
Alexander Hauck (SC Frankfurt 1880)
Fabian Heimpel (RG Heidelberg)
Sam Henderson (SC Frankfurt 1880)
Bastian Himmer (RG Heidelberg)
Lukas Hinds-Johnson (RK 03 Berlin)
Alexander Hug (TSV Handschuhsheim)
Tim Kasten (Heidelberger RK)
Jimmy Keinhorst (Otley RUFC, England)
Benjamin Krause (DSV Hannover 78)
Jannis Läpple (SC Frankfurt 1880)
Steffen Liebig (Heidelberger RK)
Tim Menzel (US Colomiers, France)
Rafael Pyrasch (Heidelberger RK)
James Reid (Peterborough RUFC, England)
Patrick Schliwa (Heidelberger RK)
Benjamin Simm (DSV Hannover 78)
Marten Strauch (SC Neuenheim)
Sven-Uwe Wetzel (TSV Handschuhsheim)
Alexander Widiker (Heidelberger RK)
Arthur Zeiler (Heidelberger RK)
Head Coach: Torsten Schippe

http://www.totalrugby.de/