Abu Dhabi Harlequins show their strength in depth – Mike McFarlane

Matt Jones - Editor 12:13 07/09/2015
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  • Good feeling: Mike McFarlane.

    Abu Dhabi Harlequins head coach Mike McFarlane is excited by his side’s depth ahead of the new season after a mixed team travelled to Sri Lanka and beat national champions Kandy.

    The mood at the Zayed Sport City club has been buoyant over the summer, and optimism ahead of the new domestic campaign will only heighten following the 32-17 win against the hosts on Friday.

    McFarlane, who replaced New Zealander Jeremy Manning in June, was thrilled with the “outstanding” rugby his side played.

    “We played some really good rugby and it was a great win,” said McFarlane, 29.

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    “It was a good standard of rugby and we travelled with a mixed team, including first, second and third team players as many are still on holiday, but we kept our structures that we’ve put in place over the last seven or eight weeks in training, which was massively encouraging.

    “It gave me lots of confidence watching from the sidelines, it shows that if we have injuries and absences this season we have fantastic depth. The team will only get stronger with boys coming back in.”

    McFarlane said his team’s performance bodes well ahead of the new domestic season, which Quins kick-off with a mouthwatering Abu Dhabi derby against Saracens on September 25, the opening day of the UAE Premiership season.

    “The commitment in training has been fantastic and the boys’ fitness levels are outstanding,” he added.

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