The rest of the Gulf Top Six have not had much of a look-in this year as the Abu Dhabi Harlequins secured league bragging rights for a third consecutive year with apparent ease, averaging more than 36 points a match while winning nine from nine.
And when the scoreline has been close, the capital club have been able to rely on the metronomic boot of fly-half Luke Stevenson to keep them in control. The 22-year-old Englishman is the league’s top scorer so far this season with 132 points, most of them from the kicking tee.
Quins’ rivals will be sickened to learn that Stevenson’s precision is not the result of hours spent on the training ground. Quite the opposite in fact. “I’ve always been kicking, but when I was younger I wasn’t that great,” he told Sport360°. “It wasn’t really until I started giving up on it and not really practising at all that I started hitting them over a bit more.
“I practise before training to fill my time but I don’t spend too much time on it. I think if I fiddle around with it too much it starts getting a bit complicated and I start getting a bit worse so I just keep it simple.”
Unfortunately for Quins, the Chester-born fly-half’s stint in the UAE could be a short one.
Stevenson is on a placement year from university and is due to return to Leeds Metropolitan, and Morley RFC, in the summer. But the 22-year-old is keen to return to Abu Dhabi in 2015 when his studies are completed, having enjoyed his time in the capital immensely.
“It’s been good. I didn’t really know what to expect before I came out,” the well-travelled Stevenson, who also played in New Zealand for Cromwell for two years, said. “Quins is a good club, there’s a great atmosphere. Obviously there are a few lads that have played a high standard so it’s good. I’m enjoying it.”
Playing for Quins has meant Stevenson has been able to learn at close hand from team-mates who have played professionally, such as former league player Ben Bolger, scrum-half Ed Lewsey and player-coach Jeremy Manning.
Stevenson added: “Jez (Manning) is obviously a class act and it’s good having him outside me because he just helps me out, controls the game and makes my life a lot easier.”
It is a standard that has been relentless in 2014 and could yet yield a perfect GT6 campaign and West Asia Cup final success. Not that the No10 or his Quins colleagues are getting too carried away just yet.
Stevenson, who did admit it was in “back of people’s minds”, said: “It would be good to go 10 out of 10 in the league but we’ll see how next week goes.”
