Roelof Kotze feels UAE can become one of top sevens teams in Asia

Matt Jones - Editor 08:31 09/09/2015
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  • Joy: Roelof UAE won the third-tier Bowl competition at the Asia Sevens Series in China.

    Belief now surges throughout the UAE camp that they can become one of the top sevens rugby nations in Asia, according to Roelof Kotze.

    The UAE recovered from a nightmare first day at the opening round of the Asia Sevens Series in China last weekend to win the third-tier Bowl competition and finish the opening leg of three in ninth place.

    Their ultimate aim before departing for Qingdao was to earn core status, which will be awarded to the top eight teams at the end of the Series. “We won the Bowl and finished ninth, we now need to keep in touch.

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    There is now belief among the team that we can be in the top eight,” said a buoyant Kotze after returning to the UAE yesterday. “The Series is very tight, I tell you that now.

    The top four or five is tight and then there is a bit of a gap to the next four, including us, so there is room to move up. “We were one point off Malaysia (in Qingdao) and are ideally poised for an assault on the top eight.”

    The UAE were whitewashed by the Philippines (20-0) and Hong Kong (24-0) on day one.

    They were a completely different team on day two though, beating Chinese Taipei 24-12 in Bowl semi-final and going on to claim the title with a 15-7 win against Singapore in the final.

    Kotze was pleased with his side’s defence throughout the tournament but believes their attack could improve. It did on day two, Ian Overton (2), Chris Marshall and Munier Kenny crossing as the UAE ran in four tries against Chinese Taipei, Marshall adding two more and Overton another in the final.

    Kotze also claimed the defeats in Pool A were not reflective of the overall games, with Hong Kong scoring a try after the final hooter and the Philippines also awarded a try that officials later agreed should not have counted.

    “I never really felt we would lose on day two, I was always confident,” said the South African.

    “Day two was far closer to what I thought the team was capable of. The players knew what they did wrong. They were aware they should have done better on day one.”

    The UAE will again face the Philippines in the second leg of the Series, which takes place in Thailand between September 26-27, and Kotze believes his men will be better prepared for a team that were thrashed 45-0 by Hong Kong in Qingdao.

    “We believe that we can now take on the Philippines. In Thailand we are going to go flat out.”

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