ARWC 2024 Match 3 Preview – Hong Kong China vs Kazakhstan
rugbyasia247
Posted On May 31, 2024
The final match of the ARWC 2024 takes place on Saturday, June 1 2024 at Hong Kong Football Club with Hong Kong China women playing Kazakhstan to claim the runner-up spot in the ARWC 2024, as well as a place in WXV 3 2024.
International rugby is the main motivation to win on Saturday, as the side which does so will head to WXV3 in September and October 2024 to play teams that include qualified Netherlands and Madagascar with 4 more to be confirmed. Additionally, a loss would mean all routes to RWC 2025 will have closed, while the winner will still have a pathway to RWC 2025 qualification.
These two teams have played 8 times in their history, and three matches have been separated by four points or less.
Photo Credit: HKCR
HKCR lost to champions Japan 29-12 (you can read the match review in our collaboration with HKCR here), and the Kazakhs lost by a larger margin 64-0 this past Monday to the Sakura XV. Worryingly for the Kazakhs, it was the fourth time in five matches that they have failed to score a single point.
Hong Kong China’s Head Coach Royce Chan Leong-sze would love to get the job done in front of what is expected to be a good crowd, while the Kazakh new Head Coach, South African Fabian Juries, had a tough introduction to international test rugby as a coach against the Japanese.
While the strategies seem etched in stone, with the Kazakh Nomads no doubt looking to run it up with their much bigger players and try and dominate the set piece, the Hong Kong China side will want to move the ball quickly around the park to tire out the opposition and exploit gaps in the defence, which the Japanese did so successfully as the match went on.
Both teams are finely poised and come into the fixture with their contrasting styles, but the Kazakhs have dangerous powerful runners in their backs too. For HKCR, they will hope the training camps spent in Australia and Japan to prepare for this ARWC will pay off.
The sides have both also shown signs of some trick plays at the lineouts and the HKCR did reasonably well to contain the Japanese pack for parts of the game, how much they can front up to take down the big ball carriers and be clinical in taking their own chances might well determine the result in this intriguing contest.
Japanese referee, Tasuku Kawahara, will take charge of his first women’s test match.
World Rugby Rankings – Permutations
Hong Kong China enters the fixture 18th on the rankings, only one ahead of Kazakhstan in 19th.
- If Hong Kong China wins, they will stay ahead of Kazakhstan in World Rugby’s rankings.
- If the result is a draw, Kazakhstan will close the gap on HKCR.
- If Kazakhstan wins, they will surpass Hong Kong China in the rankings.
Recent Matches – HKCR vs Kazakhstan
Hong Kong China beat Kazakhstan at home in December 2022 twice in a nail-biting series which was their first victory over Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan got their revenge by narrowly beating HKCR 27-23 in the ARWC 2023 in Almaty and HKCR will want to enact revenge knowing WXV is within touching distance.
The overall head-to-head is led by Kazakhstan 6-2.
- Venue: Hong Kong Football Club
- Referee: Tasuku Kawahara (Japan Rugby Football Union)
- Assistant Referee 1: Koki Yamauchi (Japan Rugby Football Union)
- Assistant Referee 2: Tetsuya Hirakawa (Japan Rugby Football Union)
- Television Match Official: Just Wang (Singapore Rugby Union
How To Watch The ARWC 2024
Livestream Link & RugbyPassTV Link
The Asia Rugby Championship doubleheader is taking place Saturday as the ARMC 2024 gets underway before the women’s match, with the HKCR men playing UAE.
There is an $80 HK$ early bird ticket offer running for the doubleheader at Hong Kong Football Club (tickets $100 after 24 May) from the Hong Kong China Rugby, as the men will get their ARMC campaign underway against UAE before the women play Kazakhstan in what will be a vital match for the ARWC 2024.
What Is At Stake – ARWC 2024 Runner-Up
The 13th edition of the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship 2024 has been won by Japan as they defeated both Hong Kong China and Kazakhstan to be crowned Asian champions in 2024. They also qualified for the Rugby World Cup 2025 and WXV2 2024 in South Africa.
The winner of the matchup between HKCR and Kazakhstan will be the runner-up of the ARWC 2024 and earn a spot in the 2024 WXV3 which will be played in Dubai.
HKCR Squad vs Kazakhstan – ARWC 2024
Kazakhstan Squad vs HKCR – ARWC 2024
- Natalya KAMENDROVSKAYA (Captain)
- Xeniya KIM
- Tatyana DADAJANOVA
- Symbat ZHAMANKULOVA
- Lyudmila IVANOVA
- Mariya GRISHINA
- Veronika STEPANYUGA
- Anzhelika PICHUGINA
- Yekaterina SAVINA
- Diana ABISHEVA
- Liliya KIBISHEVA
- Anna MELNIKOVA
- Yeva BEKKER
- Amina TULEGENOVA
- Galina KRASSAVINA
- Svetlana MALEZHINA
- Darya TKACHYOVA
- Darya SIMAKOVA
- Daiana KAZIBEKOVA
- Alyona DROBOVSKAYA
- Kundyzay BAKTYBAYEVA
- Alyona MELNIKOVA
- Yuliya OLEINIKOVA
Asian Women’s Rugby News 2024
- ARWC 2024 Match 2 Preview – Japan vs Kazakhstan
- Asia Rugby Women’s Championship 2024 – What To Know.
- Sunny Lee – A New Generation Of Rugby Match Official.
- WXV 2024 Details Confirmed.
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