Pressure on UAE sevens side after fourth place in Chennai

Matt Jones - Editor 05:40 22/02/2016
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  • Catch him if you can: Imad Reyal.

    The UAE finished a disappointing fourth place at the Chennai Sevens and now have it all to do next week to still automatically qualify for the 2016 Asia Rugby Sevens Series.

    Apollo Perelini’s men secured a place in the Cup semi-finals yesterday after beating hosts India 38-7 in their final Pool A game, guaranteeing a top four finish.

    That was as good as it got though as they were then beaten 22-10 by Thailand in the semi-final before losing for a second time during the course of the weekend to the Philippines in the third and fourth-place play-off.

    Chinese Taipei were the overall winners with a 36-21 triumph in the final. The top team overall during the two legs of the Asia Rugby Development Sevens Series at Chennai and Al Ain this weekend will qualify for the ARSS so Perelini’s men still have a chance, although they will have to win on home soil and hope their closest rivals slip up.

    Day two in Chennai had started as day one had ended, with a landslide victory for the UAE. Jebel Ali Dragons winger Ian Overton crossed for a hat-trick of tries in a thoroughly convincing win over the hosts, adding a conversion to claim a 17-point haul.

    Club mate Imad Reyal also went over for one score, as did Dubai Exiles’ Charlie Sargent and Heartbeat Tigers’ Tuharangi Kahukuranui, with Dragons duo Ryno Fourie and Munier Kenny adding four and two points respectively with the boot.

    Sargent and Reyal touched down again in the semi-final against Thailand to leave the UAE in a fight with familiar foes the Philippines to claim third place. Reyal scored a try for the third game on the spin and added three conversions, while there was a brace of tries for exciting young Al Ain Amblers teenager, Jerry Kilicanasau, in a 38-21 defeat.

    The 17-year-old took his tally in six games to a hugely impressive nine following seven tries on the first day, but captain Niall Statham said the overwhelming feeling was of dejection after missing out on a place in the final, describing two missed opportunities when 7-0 up against Thailand as the turning point.

    “We had Thailand on the ropes in the semi and we just couldn’t get our passes to stick,” said the Scotsman. “We were 7-0 up and two chances saw passed just not go to hand. We would have been 21-0 up and in the final, but instead they punished our mistakes clinically.

    “There’s a real feeling of disappointment and frustrating. There aren’t really any excuses for the losses against teams we have beaten a few months ago.”

    Fellow Dragon Overton added: “We’re gutted. Our basic mistakes turned into points for them, then man on man tackling was just poor. I was guilty myself of being too soft in the tackle. We feel terrible.”

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