Mike McFarlane insists Abu Dhabi Harlequins are eager to reassert their dominance at Zayed Sports City after responding from a first home defeat in over three years last week with a victory.
A slender 20-17 loss to Jebel Ali Dragons on January 19 saw Quins lose at home for the first time since being beaten 10-6 by city rivals Saracens on January 16, 2014.
Having seen their proud run finally come to a halt last week, McFarlane’s side set about starting this fresh streak in fine style after beating Bahrain 27-5 on Friday.
McFarlane is determined to ensure that the home defeat was only a blip.
“We are proud of that record and of course would like this to be the start of another one,” said McFarlane.
“Everyone tries to make their home a fortress but to actually do it, especially in such a competitive league, is testament to the players’ commitment and success.”
With Dragons having a bye last weekend, Quins’ win inches them back into top spot of the West Asia Premiership, a point ahead of Henry Paul’s side.
“I was really happy with our set-piece against Bahrain which I thought gave us a good platform,” said McFarlane.
“I thought we could have taken further advantage of it also, however, mauls were somehow spoiled and our front row had a hard time even though they were on the front foot – something we will focus on during video analysis this week.”
Five trophies won last season may suggest a golden period of dominance in the capital, but Quins are undergoing a period of transition as their rivals rise to the challenge.
They have lost key players William Umu, Patrick Jenkinson and Brian Geraghty – and had to cope with the shock retirement of captain Ben Bolger on the eve of the 2017/18 campaign.
Although most clubs in the region lose players due to the nature of an expat league, Quins are without a staggering 13 players from last season’s quintuple-winning side.
“It’s been incredibly difficult to rebuild the squad, embed structures and patterns that suit new personnel whilst ensuring we reach the expectations we set ourselves each session, game and season,” added McFarlane.
“The biggest thing we have is our culture which we pride ourselves on and which pulls us through tough situations.
“We’ve lost 13 first team players from last year. We currently have 23 injuries throughout our first and second team squads with seven out for the season.”
The reigning West Asia Premiership winners have a bye this weekend, but then face two tough games on the road – against Dubai Hurricanes and resurgent Dubai Exiles.
