Quins' youth win four from five in Ireland

Matt Jones - Editor 11:23 13/04/2016
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  • Abu Dhabi Harlequins U-14 (green) beat Monivea 24-19.

    It was mission very much accomplished for an exciting young Abu Dhabi Harlequins Under-14s side, who have returned to the UAE with four wins out of five on their testing tour of Ireland.

    Ahead of the March tour, Quins had spoken of their desire to prove that rugby in the Emirates is thriving and they would have left their hosts in no doubt as to its strength following some big wins.

    The visit to the Emerald Isle coincided with the country’s 100-year commemoration of the Easter uprisings, with Quins certainly giving themselves a gruelling schedule as they packed five games into their seven-day visit.

    Their opening match was a shock to the system for the Quins youngsters, who are accustomed to growing up in the desert and playing in near-perfect sunshine for much of the year. It turned out to be a very tough and muddy opening encounter against an U-15 side from Monivea, near Galway.

    Despite going behind, John Walsh’s side fought back, coming from two tries down to seal a thrilling 24-19 win.

    The game was played in wet and windy conditions, with Quins overcoming a bigger and older Monivea side that are currently top of their club league in the province of Connaught.

    After watching Connaught beat Leinster narrowly in the Pro12 tournament, Quins moved on to Ballina, where they played two matches – against the hosts, and another against nearby Ballinrobe. They registered comfortable and identical wins of 29-0.

    The UAE side were clearly starting to find their groove as the tour, which was sponsored by Etihad Cargo and power engineering firm ABB, headed to the capital, Dublin.

    Quins played two matches in Dublin, scoring three tries in a 50-19 defeat against a Seapoint team that contained several older players. But the boys signed off in style with a 49-0 triumph over Suttonians, scoring nine tries in the process.

    “There was a real festive feel about the whole tour and the lads thoroughly enjoyed every minute, on the pitch, and off it. The hospitality was excellent everywhere we went,” said Quins U-14 captain Milo Bly, who led the team from the sideline after unfortunately being ruled out by an injury on the eve of the tour.

    “It was tough playing five matches in seven days, but it really pushed the players and helped us improve a lot in a short time.”

    It was excellent preparation for Quins who meet Dubai Exiles on Friday to defend their UAE RA League title.

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