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Former captain Roger Patterson will miss Hong Kong's first outing in the Asian Championships, against Taiwan, after being handed a one-match suspension yesterday.

 Patterson, who was sent off on Saturday, was sentenced by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union's disciplinary committee chaired by Richard Turnbull last night.

 Patterson was not present at the hearing and was represented by John Barrett, the Hong Kong team manager. He has the option to lodge an appeal, but it is expected that the Hong Kong camp will accept the decision rather than run the risk of seeing the sentence lengthened.

 'It could be shortened or lengthened. We don't know if he will appeal,' said HKRFU spokesman Dave Roberts.

 Discipline will be the key to a successful Hong Kong campaign at the Asian zone Rugby World Cup qualifiers, which kicks off in Singapore on Saturday.

 The team who leave tonight for Singapore have had this knocked into them repeatedly by the management who are only too aware of the costs Hong Kong have paid in the past due to lapses in this department.

 The disciplinary issue surfaced again last Saturday with second rower Patterson red carded for throwing a punch in Hong Kong's final tune-up against a local Select XV. It served to dredge up painful reminders of experiences at previous Asian Championships.

 Thankfully the disciplinary committee decided on only a one-match ban.

 Patterson, a key player in the forwards, will now join the rest of the 25-strong playing party tonight as they leave for the most important date Hong Kong rugby has ever kept.

 The Patterson incident is probably a blessing in disguise as it focused all attention on how vital it will be to keep your wits about you.

 But coaches Phil Campbell and Gary Cross are not taking any chances. They have stressed the importance of keeping cool under duress and have warned the players not to retaliate whatever the provocation.

 'We have told them that discipline is the key to winning. If they go against that, they could find themselves out,' said assistant coach Cross.

 'I can live with losing. But I can't live with the fact that we lost because we threw it away,' added Cross.

 He is speaking through personal experience, having played in the 1990 Asian Championships in Colombo, where Hong Kong lost to South Korea on a last-minute penalty, conceded by a flying fist. And then two years ago in Taipei, Cross and Campbell were part of the coaching team who saw Hong Kong press the self-destruct button, once again against Korea, with an ill-disciplined performance.

 'It has happened so many times in the past where we have shot ourselves in the foot.

 'But it won't happen in Singapore. We will get it right this time,' promised Cross.

 Hong Kong will come up against Taiwan on Saturday, followed by Korea (October 27) and Japan (October 31). The winners of the round robin competition earn direct entry to the World Cup while the runner-up will get a second chance through a repechage.

 'Each game in Singapore will be a mountain to climb. Nothing will be taken for granted,' added Cross.

 Skipper and scrumhalf Stephen Kidd also stressed the importance of taking it one game at a time.

 'We won't look too far ahead although we are fortunate that we have the easiest game first,' said Kidd, who is happy with the team's preparation and buildup.

 'We have showed that we can control the ball for long periods and if we do that in Singapore, it will be just a matter of time when we cross the line,' said Kidd, leading Hong Kong for the first time at a major tournament.

 Kidd, who has made the scrumhalf position his own since arriving in 1994, missed the last Asian Championships through injury. But more than half the squad played in Taipei, including fullback Chan Fuk-ping, who at the time was making his 15-a-side debut for Hong Kong.

 Chan and prop Rambo Leung are the two Chinese faces in the team, although a number of other players are Hong Kong-born.

 'Everyone is champing at the bit. We are waiting to get on with it,' said Cross.

SQUAD  Toby Bland, Rob Grindlay, Leighton Duley, David Lewis, Glenn Tracey, Rambo Leung Yung-kit, Hamish Bowden, Tom Hall, Roger Patterson, Charles Scragg, Jon Dingley, Wes Packer, Rick Shuttleworth, Steve Thompson, Will Wild, Stephen Kidd (captain), Ashley Billington, Robin Bredbury, Chan Fuk-ping, Jon Clarke, Joel Dunn, Rodney McIntosh, Mark Solomon, Isi Tu'ivai, Warren Warner. Manager: John Barrett. Assistant manager: Henry Louie. Coach: Phil Campbell. Assistant coach: Gary Cross. Doctor: Mike Flemming.

Physiotherapist: Mark Cameron.



Patterson suspended for opener