Exiles demolish Hurricanes to lift West Asia Championship title

Matt Jones - Editor 22:19 18/03/2016
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  • Winners: Dubai Exiles.

    Centre Philip Snyman sliced through for Exiles’ opening try and they went on to cross the whitewash a further 13 times as they demolished fierce Dubai rivals Hurricanes 92-22 to claim the trophy in style.

    The title was taken down to the final day of the season after Abu Dhabi Harlequins inflicted Exiles sole defeat of cross-border campaign two weeks ago to cut the gap to Benade’s men to one.

    That would have understandably led to some fraught nerves inside the Exiles dressing camp before the game, but they rubbished any suggestion they might choke with a rampant display.

    “I believe if we didn’t fall away the way we did (against Quins) we couldn’t have taken it to this game. These things happen for a reason and I’m glad it did now because the way the boys bonded together last week and this week in training and took the field today was unbelievable,” said gleeful Exiles prop, Kristian Stinson.

    “We weren’t going to let it slip, because we were hurting so much from the previous game.”

    Propping himself up against a wall in the corridor outside his team’s dressing room at The Sevens Stadium after the game, Benade looked emotionally and physically drained, but the beaming smile on his face won’t disappear for a while.

    Dubai Exiles Matt Mills in action against Dubai Hurricanes.

    Dubai Exiles Matt Mills in action against Dubai Hurricanes.

    “I’m so delighted for those boys because they deserve it and they worked so hard,” said the South African, who was brought in by the club last July to reverse their fortunes of recent years.

    “We had one of those games where everything worked for us. They were just outstanding. That first try really settled the nerves and you could see the boys were starting to enjoy themselves and I could see the boys were right and focused. They played unbelievable rugby.”

    Unbelievable rugby was putting it mildly. Exiles had a bonus point sewn up after just 22 minutes and the game by the interval as they led 47-15 having run in seven tries in an explosive half that yielded 62 points.

    UAE sevens international Charlie Sargent helped himself to five scores, including a first-half hat-trick. Exiles had eight different scorers in total, with the pick of the bunch a lung-bursting effort from scrum-half Ed Armitage from virtually his own try-line, while half-back partner Durandt Gerber kicked 11 conversions and added a try for a personal haul of 39 points.

    Canes hooker Chris Gregory was full of praise for the champions.

    He said: “It could have gone two ways. They were either going to go all out in front of their fans or they were going to capitulate and lose it. Unfortunately for us they went and did it, and fair play. They’ve had a good year and they deserve it.”

    ABU DHABI’S HARLEQUINS AND SARACENS CEMENT STRONG FINISH

    Following Dubai Exiles’ victory, West Asia Championship runners-up Abu Dhabi Harlequins put Bahrain to the sword with a brutal 108-7 victory at Zayed Sports City.

    Tom Ham’s men had only conceded 161 points in seven Championship games prior to this. But they were trounced by a Quins side who have been rampant in the campaign’s closing stages, scoring 184 points in their final three games.

    Scrum-half Sam Bolger and livewire three-quarters Barry Dwyer and Max Trimble all crossed for hat-tricks in the capital as Quins ran riot.

    Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi Saracens won a fourth- straight game to seal fourth spot in the table.

    The Al Ghazal-outfit returned from Jebel Ali with a 45-19 victory against Dragons, defeat for whom left them with five defeats from eight games. Captain Jaen Botes crossed for two tries at the Centre of Excellence, while centre Stephen Hamilton also touched down twice.

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