DESC & JESS Jumeirah triumph in Dubai

Denzil Pinto 00:55 20/03/2017
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  • Going for the try: DESC in their U-19 clash

    Dubai English Speaking College (DESC) had to make room for more silverware in their trophy cabinet as they and JESS Jumeirah were among the winners at the Dubai College 10s rugby tournament.

    Both sides made the short trip across the emirate in confident mood after putting in weeks of preparation for the annual competition, which atttracted sides from across the UAE.

    With strong sides in the mix for the titles, DESC showed their winning mentality by taking home four trophies.

    Their Under-12s, led by Matty Young, got the first one in the bag by defeating JESS 42-10, before the U-13s added to the tally.

    Their team comfortably beat Kings Al Barsha 50-0.

    That result saw them complete a remarkable feat as they scored a mammoth 198 points for no loss, and also maintained their unbeaten run in all formats over two seasons.

    DESC were back on the podium thanks to their U-14s side, captained by Marcus Kruger, who overcame hosts Dubai College 31-12.

    Their most remarkable triumph came in the U-19 clash, when DESC came from 12-0 down with just a minute to go, to beat Dubai College 14-12. After Mitch Kennedy levelled the scores with a try, captain Max Johnson, who had earlier scored the first points, kept his cool to nail the conversion for a memorable triumph. It was a fitting end for DESC after their U-12s and U-14s were crowned league champions earlier in the season.

    Director of rugby Robin Giles had nothing but praise. “The success is down to the players’ hard work and their dedication. As a coaching team, we are there to support them but on the field it’s up to them,” he said. “As a school, we’re absolutely delighted with the results we achieved this season.”

    For JESS Jumeirah, skipper Nicholas Roberts led from the front to guide the team to U-11 glory after a 48-7 victory over Kings Al Barsha.

    The captain was among the stand-out performers, including scoring a hat-trick.

    Niall Statham, head of PE at JESS, lauded the efforts of his team.

    “This is another trophy for us this season which is a fantastic achievement,” said the UAE captain.

    “They are a resilient bunch of kids and have got a great style of playing together as a team.”

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