IKF AOKC Day Three – contrasting games all end in comfortable victories

Four games in Day Three of the 2014 IKF AOKC resulted in four comfortable victories.

By the IKF rankings, Game One of Day Three was one of the widest mismatches possible as world third ranked Chinese-Taipei took on Japan, which sits around 30 places lower in the IKF rankings. By halftime the scoreboard showed 23-6 as Chinese Taipei put on another display of technique, athleticism, ball speed and court awareness. Although yesterday a flurry of substitutions around halftime reduced the flow from the defending champion, today there was no such let up for Japan when the Chinese Taipei bench players entered the game, en masse, early in the second half. By the end Japan had received a thorough lesson, at the wrong end of a 45-11 scoreline.

In Game Two China inflicted a similar scoring onslaught on Macau, their power and control too much for their less experienced opponents. As in the previous match, goals rained in at more than one per minute, the only appreciable difference from Chinese Taipei’s superiority being that when China’s bench players took the court in the second half the tempo dropped slightly. Macau was unfortunate to take the backlash of China’s disappointment at losing yesterday’s encounter with Australia. At the end of the match the score was 42-5.

Australian coach Phil Sibbons sent his team out in Game Three with his veterans on the bench, rested after yesterday’s exertions. His younger squad members had a different mission against unbeaten Malaysia, though achieved it just as effectively, controlling the tempo and minimising their opponents’ scoring options. Each member of Australia’s starting eight scored at least once, while Adam Robertson and Josh Burney scored six and seven respectively. Faced with a far tougher opponent than on the previous two days, Malaysia was unable to respond, and the final score was 25-3.

Thus far unbeaten, New Zealand featured in the day’s final game against the host. Initially it seemed an even contest, with boyhood friends Ken Kwok Ham and Carl Chung sharing the first two goals. Although this was the day’s closest match, Hong Kong gradually asserted more pressure, particularly through their female players, and made the most of their scoring opportunities. By half time the score was 9-4, and although it seemed that New Zealand might be able to mount a recovery, as the second half progressed Hong Kong’s superiority became more and more evident. Giving most of the bench players a run in the last ten minutes or so, New Zealand was unable to pose a consistent goal threat and ended up on the wrong end of a 21-7 scoreline.