1
Racing 92 and The Sharks meet in Hong Kong
By RugbyPass
Racing 92 and The Sharks are preparing for a showdown in Hong Kong this weekend, in the 4th edition of the Natixis Cup.
The French side is in town with a host of stars including Dan Carter, Joe Rokocoko, Dimitri Szarzewski & Donnacha Ryan. The game will also see them unleash some of their younger academy stars from Les Espiors, including Hong Kong's own, Matt Worley, who has represented Hong Kong at U20 level.
The Sharks meanwhile, will use the game as an opportunity to continue their preparation for the Super Rugby season.
Super Rugby Preview: The Sharks
The game will be streamed live across Asia on RugbyPass.
The first edition of the Natixis Cup took place in 2013 and pitted Racing 92 against Stade Toulousain in the first ever meeting between two professional French sides in Hong Kong.
That encounter was followed by a Racing 92 versus HKFC President’s XV in 2015 and the first appearance of a Super Rugby side in Hong Kong, The Highlanders, who played Racing 92 in a high-scoring affair in 2016.
In keeping with the finest traditions of French rugby, the Natixis Rugby Cup is marked by a strong outreach to the local rugby community and a sharing of the communal rugby spirit. This custom will continue in 2018 with a mini rugby clinic, featuring players not in the starting line-up on match day, to be held at Aberdeen immediately preceding the match. The fun will continue into the evening hours with a beer garden and live music on offer throughout the day.
Watch it unfold live right here on RugbyPass
Trending on RugbyPass
2
All Blacks XV player ratings vs Munster
3
Suaalii strikes awe as Wallabies lose midfielder
4
Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
5
Latest Comments
SCW really dislikes Eddie, doesn't he?
His words in 2019 before the RWC final that he now says should have resulted in Eddie's firing:
"Was Saturday’s sensational World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand England’s greatest ever performance? Yes, unquestionably, would be my answer."
So let's fire the coach one game later? Duh!
Go to commentsIreland have every right to back themselves for a win. But the key variable has little to do with recent record etc.
The reality is that Ireland are a settled team with tons of continuity, an established style, and a good depth chart, whereas NZ are fundamentally rebuilding. The questions are all about what Razor is doing and how far along he is in that program.
NZ are very close to really clicking. Against England all of the chatter is about how England could have closed out a win, but failed to do so. This has obscured the observation that NZ were by far the more creative and effective in attack, beyond the 3-1 try differential and disallowed tries. They gave away a lot of unnecessary penalties, and made many simple errors (including knock-ons and loose kicks). Those things are very fixable, and when they do so we are once again going to be staring at a formidable NZ team.
Last week we heard the England fans talking confidently about their chances against NZ, but England did not end up looking like the better team on the field or the scoreboard. The England defense was impressive enough, but still could not stop the tries.
Ireland certainly has a better chance, of course, but NZ is improving fast, and I would not be surprised at a convincing All Black win this week. It may turn on whether NZ can cut out the simple mistakes.
Go to comments