There was a hint of déjà vu in the air at Zayed Sports City as Abu Dhabi Harlequins finally got their Gulf Top Six campaign off the ground with what could be a decisive win against old foes Jebel Ali Dragons.
Quins lost their first two UAE Premiership games last October before a win over city rivals Saracens galvanised the team and carried them all the way to the final, and they have followed that trend in the GT6 with a first victory in their third match of the season.
Tough 25-18 win against a determined @JebelAliDragons side, boys have to push on from here
— Abu Dhabi Quins (@Abudhabiquins) January 23, 2015
Centre William Umu got the decisive score yesterday with 10 minutes to go, the man-of-the-match barging over to give the home side the lead for the first time and finally break Dragons’ resolve.
“It didn’t seem like it was going to be our day in the first half,” said coach Jeremy Manning. “We had nine clear opportunities to score a try and only took three.”
In truth, Manning’s men should really have been out of sight at half-time but they wasted numerous guilt edged chances.
Two glorious opportunities went begging in the opening three minutes, a forward pass robbing the lively Chris Marshall of a try inside 50 seconds before South African Attie Standar knocked the ball on with the line at his mercy.
Lock Ed Talbot was another guilty of white line fever in an opening 40 minutes. Apprehension only intensified when Murray Strang cut a great angle to score under the posts to give Dragons a 7-0 lead.
Matt Hawley added another try to an impressive debut season tally for Quins, but the visitors led 13-8 at the break and Ian Overton’s try just after left the Abu Dhabi crowd despondent.
Quins continued to create chances though and after Manning potted a penalty, substitute flanker Marcos Javier Flores burrowed over for a try, the conversion squaring the game at 18 apiece.
Then Umu piled over from a quick tap-and-go and Quins never looked back.
Dragons’ player/coach Strang said: “Normally the result paints the right picture and, being honest, it was the right result today.”
Saracens fend off Canes’ fightback
Abu Dhabi Saracens weathered a second-half storm from Dubai Hurricanes to win 43-24 and claim a third straight triumph in the Gulf Top Six.
@SaracensWorld @SaracensUAE Final score from Al Ghazal.ADS 43-24.Sarries had 2 withstand second half fightback from Canes but stood firm#ADS
— Gameday (@ADSaracens) January 23, 2015
Sarries were seemingly out of sight when Cormac Meyler’s try put them 31-0 up just after half-time, but Canes battled back and scored four second half tries, although two more scores for the hosts eventually saw them across the line.
Ali Thompson’s men had the game virtually in the bag by the break, scoring three tries through Matt Hutchings, Sarries’ UK academy prospect Elliott Reeder and South African Rhuwan Pienaar while Canes’ Nick Beaumont and Todd Freemantle were in the bin.
When winger Meyler chipped and collected to touch down for a bonus point try just after the restart, Canes looked finished. But Ross Mills’ men turned in a spirited second-half display, notching a bonus point of their own.
Steve Hamilton scored an interception try for Sarries, while fly-half Reeder had the final word with his second score for an impressive personal haul of 22 points.
Despite the defeat, Mills said said: “We competed on all fronts, despite the score, and I think they were relieved to hear the final
whistle.”
Thompson said: “We were clinical in the first half but we let Canes back in; that was disappointing.”
Doha win third game on the go
Doha made it three wins from three with a commanding 45-24 win but Bahrain showed once again the fierce competition that exists in the Gulf Top Six with a bonus point for scoring four tries .
Top top top of the league… pic.twitter.com/mLp2ZeK6jr
— doharugby (@doharugby) January 23, 2015
The hosts did score seven of their own though to go into their crunch clash with top of the table rivals Abu Dhabi Saracens next weekend in fine fettle.
Doha coach Aaron Palmer said: “We had a good win but were put under a bit of pressure at times by a much improved Bahrain.”
It was game the hosts always had control of, with Aaron McLelland scoring a hat-trick and Greg Evans potting five of seven conversions.
Bahrain put in yet another gritty display and sealed a bonus point with Tom Jankowski, Sal Wilson, Elliot Behan and Rich Muncaster touching down.
Bahrain’s Tom Hanratty said: “We got the four tries bonus point but gifted them a couple of scores as well.”
