Chinese Taipei and Malaysia had the honour of kicking off the Asia Zone qualifying campaign for Rugby World Cup 2003 on March 30 last year, with Chinese Taipei emerging 57-3 winners from their trip to Ipoh Padang.
The first round involved nine nations – the others being Singapore, Hong Kong, Arabian Gulf, Thailand, Peoples Republic of China, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan – split into three pools of three with each playing two matches, one home and one away.
The winners of each pool then progressed to the second round of the Asia Zone, where they would form another pool of three with the top nation joining Japan and South Korea in the final stage.
Chinese Taipei finished top of Pool A after Singapore, who had beaten Malaysia 34-5, refused to travel for the 13 April fixture because of earthquake fears, prompting the IRB to award the match to the hosts.
Hong Kong emerged victorious from Pool B after edging past Thailand and Arabian Gulf, although only by virtue of an injury-time penalty and converted try against the latter in the winner takes all final match on 20 April.
The match at the Hong Kong Football Stadium was tied at 7-7 after Arabian Gulf scored a 79th minute try, only for the hosts to snatch victory and remain in contention for the one automatic place at Rugby World Cup 2003 and the Répechage lifeline.
They were joined in the second round by China, who finished top of Pool C on points difference after all three nations won one and lost one. The decisive result proved to be China’s convincing 57-15 defeat of Kazakhstan in Shanghai.
Chinese Taipei also kicked off the second round well, although they had to dig deep to recover from 15-3 down to Hong Kong at half-time to emerge 20-15 winners on 18 May. A week later Chinese Taipei won the pool by beating China 29-5 in Shanghai.
Having done so well in the second round and shown themselves to be a rapidly improving outfit, the Chinese Taipei side would then come up against much sterner opposition in round three, and conceding more than 100 points three times in round three, including a 155-3 defeat by Japan in Tokyo.
However that record scoreline for Japan was not a one off with the Cherry Blossoms managing an amazing 420 points and conceding only 47 points in their four qualifiers to take their place in Pool B alongside France, Scotland, Fiji and, ultimately, the USA.
South Korea, who had led Japan 24-17 before succumbing 90-24 in Tokyo, went into the Répechage to await the Oceania representative in a home-and-away playoff in March 2003.
This turned out to be Tonga, who had beaten South Korea 140-41 on aggregate during the Répechage for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and would surpass that scoreline this time around.
Tonga scored 12 tries in their 75-0 win in Seoul, before bettering that with 17 touchdowns – four by forward Benhur Kivalu – to triumph 119-0 in Nuku’Alofa and join New Zealand, Wales, Canada and Italy in Pool D at the Rugby World Cup.