KUALA LUMPUR – As Malaysia’s rugby 15s team gears up to face four-time champions Hong Kong in the second match of the Asia Rugby Championship Premier Division, they find themselves without many apparent advantages.
However, with the recent unpredictable rainfall in the Klang Valley, there’s a glimmer of hope for the Bunga Raya squad as they prepare to clash with Hong Kong at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Stadium in Serdang tomorrow.
Speaking to Scoop, national coach Farid Syazwan Abu Bakar acknowledged that the weather might give them a slight edge but emphasised the need for Malaysian players to be adept at making clean passes and catches in the wet and slippery conditions.
“The rain factor may give us a slight advantage, but I am more focused on what we can control because the weather is unpredictable.
“We have already conducted training at the UPM Stadium to adapt, and I can say that if it rains heavily on Saturday, we may be able to compete with them in the muddy field conditions.
“Hong Kong has fast and physically imposing players, so we need to find a way to overcome them,” said Farid.
Amid the preparations, Farid breathes a sigh of relief as two key players, Azwan Zuwairi, previously sidelined due to illness, and Amin Jamaluddin, recovering from dengue fever, have been cleared to play again.
He has also identified potential replacements for Fairuz Abdul Rahman, who sustained a knee injury during the clash against South Korea last week.
In that match, the national squad suffered a heavy defeat of 55-5, currently placing them at the bottom of the Premier Division standings.
“We’ve conducted health checks on Azwan and Amin, with encouraging results. They’ll bolster the national squad, though I may not start them in the game.
“As for the flyhalf position left vacant by Fairuz, I might field the naturalised player, Lee Chapman, but the final decision will come later.
“We’re aware of the significant gap with Hong Kong, especially after our disappointing performance against South Korea last week, where we were beaten 55-5.
“However, I see the players returning with renewed spirits, and we aim to deliver our best performance on home turf,” he added. – June 7, 2024