Abu Dhabi Harlequins will always remain close to Jeremy Manning’s heart and the former coach admits he has been hugely impressed by the work being done by his replacement Mike McFarlane at the capital city club.
Former Munster and Newcastle Falcons full-back Manning stepped down from the helm of the Zayed Sports City club at the end of the 2014/15 season, having led Quins to a UAE Premiership and Dubai Sevens double.
The New Zealander has moved on and is now part of the Fiji sevens coaching set-up, but he still lives in Abu Dhabi and reveals he will always be indebted to the club.
“I’m always keen to see how things go, the club was good and kind to me and I’m always happy to get down to training,” said Manning, who’s been keeping busy since stepping down, with Fiji as well as his own personal training business.
“Mike’s (McFarlane) been great. I got to watch a couple of games (last season) but was a bit too busy.
What I did see is that they’re very structured. Mike’s drilled the team really well. The games I did see it was great running rugby and great skill levels, so he’s done a fantastic job with the players.”
Manning, 30, admitted he was tempted to put the boots back on during Quins’ injury crisis, but resisted the urge.
“There were a lot of injuries and I had a few phone calls trying to get me down but I had to decline,” he said. “I was in contact throughout the season and he’s got some great plans for next season. He’s excited and I’m excited to see how they go.”
