Depleted Wasps set for trip to the capital

[email protected] 16:06 16/10/2014
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  • Walking wounded: Xodus Wasps (l).

    Xodus Wasps are facing an injury crisis of epic proportions with 25 players absent as they continue to search for their first UAE Premier­ship win this season.

    The revelation was made by di­rector of rugby Martin Southern who said the club has been hit by injuries and absentees this week – in addition to an outbreak of con­junctivitis in the camp.

    The 25 players missing meant Wasps had to forfeit their second team game against Arabian Knights in the UAE Conference.

    Southern said 20 of the 25 walk­ing wounded are from the first team, with Serbian Nenad Grbic the only regular from the pack or half-backs available to face Abu Dhabi Saracens on Friday night.

    “I’ve never experienced anything like this in rugby in any country I’ve been involved with rugby in,” said Southern.

    “But we have 22 players through­out the club to start on Friday but they will fly the flag for Xodus Wasps. They’ll be fighting tooth and nail and even though our backs are against the wall, we’ll never give in.”

    Sarries’ chairman Dave Jackson said the mood at Al Ghazal is posi­tive despite defeat in the Abu Dhabi derby.

    “We didn’t perform as we would have liked against Quins, maybe the occasion got the better of us,” he said. “But we are still building as a club and moving forward.”

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