Abu Dhabi Harlequins are really enjoying themselves at the moment. At the halfway stage of the Gulf Top Six, and with a rest weekend ahead, they sit six points clear at the top of the table having won all five of their fixtures in 2014.
In doing so the capital club have averaged more than 32 points a game while conceding just 45 in total. That ominous run of form has helped Quins banish some painful memories from the 2013 UAE Premiership and rediscover their love for the game.
“The biggest thing for us is that we’re enjoying playing now,” player- coach Jeremy Manning said. “We’re having fun at training, we’re having fun outside of rugby as a team and I think that’s really showing in our games and I think that everyone seems to be enjoying playing footy together.
“I think we probably tried to push things a bit too hard during the Premiership,” the former Munster and Newcastle player added. “Now in the Gulf Top Six we’re having fun, we know where we can play attacking rugby from and we know when we need to get out of our own quarter. The boys have agreed with what we’re trying to achieve and as I’ve said we’re having fun doing it.”
The Jebel Ali Dragons came into the year as the side in form, having beaten the Dubai Hurricanes to lift the UAE Premiership. But a damaging defeat in Doha last weekend has left them eight points off the pace in the Top Six.
“We’ve reached the stage of the season when availability becomes an issue, injuries become an issue and travelling to the likes of Doha becomes a bit of a challenge – more so than normal because we have to adjust the squad,” says Dragons club captain Olly Reynolds, whose side were missing four fly-halves for their 36-22 reverse in Qatar.
Reynolds believes Quins have got “a point to prove” after they were bettered domestically by both the Dragons and Hurricanes.
Canes coach, Russ Huxtable, meanwhile says his side have not been clinical enough to see games out that they should have won.
The Dubai club have won just once since the turn of the year – a 43-0 win against Saracens in Abu Dhabi when, interestingly, their coach was out of the country.
“We could have had four wins out of five with better concentration, better delivery,” Huxtable said. “So it’s there but it’s just attention to detail and finishing things off.”
Saracens captain Dougie Steele admitted the step up in class from the UAE Premiership has been higher than the Gulf debutants expected.
The Abu Dhabi side are winless so far, with a 36-36 draw in Doha giving them their only points. He said: “It’s been pretty tough for us, the first half, but it’s our first time in it and it’s a learning curve.”
