This weekend, two teams with ambitions of making their Rugby World Cup debuts will go head-to-head in a friendly fixture. In what promises to be an exciting clash, Hong Kong will host Brazil at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon for the first of two test matches taking place on Saturday. This encounter marks the third overall meeting between these teams, with Brazil and Hong Kong previously squaring off in July 2024, where Hong Kong narrowly escaped with a victory. Presently, Hong Kong boasts a commendable rank of No. 2 in Asia, while Brazil holds the No. 4 spot among Men’s teams in South America.
Current World Ranking: 23 (60.40 points)
2024-07-20 – Brazil 25-26 Hong Kong (São Paulo, BR)
2024-07-13 – Paraguay 12-80 Hong Kong (Asunción, PY)
2024-07-06 – Chile 22-17 Hong Kong (Talca, CL)
2024-06-22 – Hong Kong 67-07 South Korea (Hong Kong)
2024-06-08 – Malaysia 06-70 Hong Kong (Selangor, MY)
2024-06-01 – Hong Kong 52-05 United Arab Emirates (Hong Kong)
Current World Ranking: 30 (55.62 points)
2024-10-06 – Chile 36-10 Brazil (Santiago, CL)
2024-09-08 – Brazil 29-64 Argentina XV (Jacareí, BR)
2024-18-08 – Brazil 77-17 Paraguay (São Paulo, BR)
2024-07-27 – Brazil 47-25 Belgium (São Paulo, BR)
2024-07-20 – Brazil 25-26 Hong Kong (São Paulo, BR)
- This will be the third test match between Hong Kong and Brazil and the second ever in Hong Kong.
- Hong Kong won both previous encounters, with their first match resulting in a convincing victory by +34 points, while the most recent matchup saw them clinch a win by just +1.
- The upcoming tour serves as Brazil’s final preparation for the highly competitive South American qualifiers for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Brazil is set to face rival Chile in the semi-final stage slated for 2025.
- Hong Kong takes the field under the leadership of New Zealander Joshua Hrstich, who will be captaining the squad from the flanker position.
- Maxwell Threlkeld is set to make his international debut for Hong Kong, showcasing his talent after carving out a path with the University of California.
- Brazil’s lineup features positional adjustments, including a swap between João Amaral and Lucas Tranquez, who will alternate their roles from fullback to fly-half.
- Matteo Dell’Acqua will begin the match in an unfamiliar flanker position, while veteran player Cleber Dias will transition to number eight.
- Brazil’s all-time leading cap holder, Moisés Duque, has made a comeback this year and will start in this important match.
- Brazil will be without first-choice winger Ariel Rodrigues, who is serving a suspension following a red card issued during their previous clash against Chile.
- The Brazilian team has recognized their disciplinary issues in the past match, where players EW Pinheiro, J Marino, and R Teixeira were issued yellow cards.
The narrow victory for Hong Kong in July serves as a reminder of the intense competition both sides face. The last match showcased a level playing field, but an uncharacteristic late-game blunder by Brazil ultimately shaped the final result. This rematch in Asia offers both teams an invaluable chance to showcase their improvements and solidify their standing. With Hong Kong’s favorable form and recent performance, they are confidently seen as the favorites heading into their home turf.
HONG KONG
1 Rory Cinnamond, 2 Calum Scott, 3 Faizal Solomona Penesam, 4 Mark Prior, 5 Patrick Jenkinson, 6 Joshua Hrstich (capt.), 7 Pierce Mackinlay-West, 8 Luke Van der Smit, 9 Jamie Lauder, 10 Nathan De Thierry, 11 Matt Worley, 12 Ben Axten-Burrett, 13 Maxwell Threlkeld, 14 Charles Higson-Smith, 15 Matteo Avitabile
Replacements: 16 Jude Harding, 17 Sunai Fameitau, 18 Zacceus Cinnamond, 19 Kyle Sullivan, 20 Hugh McCormick-Houston, 21 Tyler McNutt, 22 Jack Combes, 23 Guy Spanton
BRAZIL
1 Wilton Rebolo, 2 Henrique Ferreira, 3 Matheus Rocha, 4 Ben Donald, 5 Gabriel Oliveira, 6 Matteo Dell’Acqua, 7 Matheus Cláudio, 8 Cleber Dias, 9 Lucas Spago, 10 João Amaral, 11 Daniel Lima, 12 Moisés Duque, 13 Lorenzo Massari Temer, 14 Robert Tenório, 15 Lucas Tranquez
Replacements: 16 Endy Willian Pinheiro, 17 Caique Segura, 18 Leonel Moreno, 19 Gabriel Paganini, 20 Adrio de Melo, 21 Rafael Teixeira, 22 Felipe Gonçalves, 23 Victor Silva
Date: Saturday, November 09
Venue: Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon (HK)
Kickoff: 4pm (HK); 5am (Brasília)
Weather Forecast: Hot; Partly Cloudy 29 degrees Celsius. Wind: 21 km/h
Broadcasts: Streamed Live on Youtube
Referee: Reuben Keane (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Katsuki Furuse (Japan), Morgan White (Hong Kong)
HISTORY vs (2011-2024)
Jul 20, 2024 – Brazil 25-26 Hong Kong (São Paulo, BR)
Dec 13, 2011 – Hong Kong 37-03 Brazil (Dubai, UAE)
HEAD TO HEAD vs (2011-2024)
Hong Kong Wins 2
Brazil Wins 0
