Murray Strang has warned his players to beware of the wounded beast as Jebel Ali Dragons get set to welcome Abu Dhabi Harlequins on Friday.
In what is a meeting of two league heavyweights, Dragons player/coach Strang admits the encounter is ‘massive’, not just for the fact that the two teams are renowned big hitters, but also because the significance of what the result could do for both teams’ seasons.
If Strang leads his team to a second victory of the campaign, they would be close to Gulf Top Six qualification, but after their dramatic late loss to Dubai Hurricanes on the opening day of the season, back-to-back defeats for Quins would leave them with an Everest of a task to make the post-Christmas competition.
Strang said the game is almost like a final: “It’s something we didn’t expect but we need to make sure we come out with our second win and Quins have two defeats.”
Strang played four seasons at Zayed Sports City with Quins, but said there is no good time to play them.
“Games with the Quins are always likely to determine silverware, but this is do or die for them.
“We need to beware of the wounded beast because we were in a similar position last year, but have to do what we can to keep them down on the mat.”
Dragons will be without injured duo centre Taif Al Delamie, who was taken to hospital after suffering concussion against Xodus Wasps last Friday, and flanker Stuart Waddell, who is out for three months after dislocating his shoulder in the same game.
Ryno Fourie has been promoted from the seconds and will start on the bench, with Kyle Bennie starting on the wing, while back rower Peter Kelly also steps up from the seconds, taking a seat on the bench, with Waddell replaced by Andrew Carphin at blind-side flanker.
Quins chairman Andy Cole was in more sombre mood and left cursing the fixture list.
The Dragons’ game comes on the back of their heartbreaking loss to Dubai Hurricanes, and he also fears the impact several players’ absence for the Eid Al Adha holiday will have.
“We’ll do our best and we want to be competitive but we’re scratching around a bit, although we do have two full teams for both the firsts and seconds and we’ll fulfill our fixtures. We’re looking a bit disjointed and I’m not expecting a positive result,” he said.
