Exiles reach 2 years undefeated milestone after another tough Abu Dhabi Harlequins encounter

Lukas Waddington carried hard all game

The Dubai Exiles suffered their last defeat in the UAE Premiership on January 24th 2020 at the hands of Abu Dhabi Harlequins on Pitch 7 at The Sevens Stadium. The coaching staff at Dubai Exiles RFC had not mentioned the impending milestone in the build up to Saturday’s match. It was Abu Dhabi back in town with a team that would be extremely keen to avenge their only defeat of the 2021-22 campaign, a 17 – 26 loss to the Exiles earlier in the season at Zayed Sports City.

The UAE Premiership Saturday had got underway earlier in the day, the Dubai Hurricanes posting their first win of the season, a 39 – 20 victory over the Jebel Ali Dragons. In the afternoon, it was left to the other two amateur rugby clubs to battle it out at the top of the Premiership table.

Until the previous weekends outing against the, semi-professional, Dubai Tigers, the Abu Dhabi Harlequins had provided the unbeaten Exiles with their sternest test of the season, and everybody gathered at The Sevens on Saturday afternoon to enjoy this top-of-the-table clash knew that today’s match was not going to be any different. It was going to be tough, intense, very physical and extremely bruising.

It was a very bruising encounter…

Teenager, Marcus Kruger, crosses for the Exiles‘ first score, Marcus finished the game with 15 points

The Abu Dhabi Harlequins got the game underway kicking off into a not insignificant breeze blowing from the Sevens‘ Pitch 1 end of the ground. After only a handful of phases of play the referee, Monray Gilbert, penalised the Exiles just inside their 10m line for a player’s hands being on the floor, past the ball, in a ruck. The Harlequins gratefully accepted the scoring opportunity and and slotted the ball straight between the uprights. 0 – 3 Harlequins.

From the restart, the Exiles were immediately on the attack. Some opening phase play and a kickable penalty was turned down. Exiles‘ Justin Walsh opting to send the ball to the far touch line. The resulting line out was a little ‘wobbly’ but Exiles‘ flanker, Anthony Kapp, cleaned it up at the tail and set the Exiles attack on its way.

The Harlequins had obviously been studying the footage from the Exiles‘ previous outing. When Justin Walsh set off into the 10 channel, three Abu Dhabi Harlequins defenders were ready and waiting for him and promptly drove him backwards and out of their 22. The Dubai Exiles opened their scoring account after some well constructed phases of play. Fullback, Conor Kennedy, had nearly created something from a penalty advantage, but his searching chip kick had found the dead ball line just before wing, Schalk du Preez, could get there. Monray Gilbert brought play back for the penalty and the Exiles found themselves setting up camp in the Abu Dhabi 22.

Willem Jansen battles for some ‘go forward’

The Harlequins shipped another penalty in their 22 and Exiles‘ scrum half, Carel Thomas, quickly tapped the ball and moved it to hard running Kenyan centre, Brad Owako, Brad was stopped a couple of metres from the try line, the ball was quickly recycled and moved out to the left side. Justin Walsh passed to Exiles‘ teenager, Marcus Kruger and Marcus found himself in space. With the Abu Dhabi full back sprinting across to cover the wing, Marcus ghosted through the gap to open the Exiles‘ scoring account. Converted. 7 – 3.

In a match that was already ebbing back and forth, it was the Harlequins that were next to score, in somewhat controversial circumstances. The Exiles‘ had held up the Harlequins on the Exiles‘ try line and outside half, Justin Walsh, had thumped the drop out 40 metres into Abu Dhabi hands. Abu Dhabi went on the attack, and after the initial surge passed the ball to the left. The pass wasn’t collected. It looked like a knock-on from any angle that you watched it – the Abu Dhabi player collected the ball a metre in front of him and grounded it over the try line. With all of the players walking back for a scrum, a conversation took place between the referee and Assistant Referee and a try was awarded. 7 – 8 Harlequins. 19 minutes on the clock.

It was turning into an attritional match. The up-front battle had recommenced and it was another very kickable penalty to the Harlequins in front of the Exiles‘ posts which was again gratefully accepted. 7 – 11. It was starting to derail for the Exiles. The restart didn’t reach the 10m target and Abu Dhabi were scrummaging with the put-in on the half way line.

The Harlequins looked to attack the right side of the pitch. The hard hitting 8, Johann Watertermeyer, picked up from the base of the scrum and moved the ball along to the Harlequins scrum half. Exiles‘ Carel Thomas put in a crunching tackle on his opposite number and dislodged the ball. When wing, Schalk du Preez, was the fist to get his foot to the ball it was pretty much all over bar the shouting. The Exiles‘ wing possesses electrifying pace, a kind bounce and Schalk was over the try line and underneath the posts. It was a bitter sweet moment for the Exiles‘ flyer. In the sprint a reoccurrence of an injury earlier in the season put an end to his time on the pitch. 14 – 11 Exiles.

The final word of the first half went to Exiles‘ Marcus Kruger. With time expiring on the clock a penalty in the Abu Dhabi’ 22 was calmly slotted through the middle of the posts and at half time it was 17 – 11 to the Dubai Exiles.

Try time for Schalk du Preez 

It was the Dubai Exiles who were the first to rattle the scoreboard along in the second half. With less than 2 minutes of play on the clock, the Exiles were awarded a scrum on the Abu Dhabi 10m line. Anthony Kapp had picked up from the base of the scrum and moved the ball to Carel Thomas who in turn delivered a perfectly weighted pass to the on-rushing Conor Kennedy. After beating the first defender, Conor moved the ball along to wing, Hannes Kruger, when Hannes was tackled he offloaded the ball back to Conor and the Zimbabwean’s feet took care of everything else. 22 – 11 Exiles.

Anthony Kapp goes on the attack

Justin Walsh carried hard all game – again

Carel Thomas has an extremely busy game

A little of the Exiles‘ good work was undone when in true rugby match style they gave away a very kickable, even if long, penalty. 22 – 14 Exiles.

The next score for the men-in-black came at the end of multiple phases in the Abu Dhabi Harlequins‘ 22. The Harlequins had been dogged in their defence, and done their utmost to stop any Exiles‘ momentum. When replacement wing, Willem Jansen, was caught near the touch line, the youngster did extremely well to stay on the pitch and present the ball. Epeli Davetawalu went route one in to the Harlequins‘ defenders. Gareth Bacon had a carry. It was the Exiles‘ outside half, Justin Walsh, who moved the ball into the backline, in what was almost a copy of the Exiles‘ earlier try Conor Kennedy again linked with Hannes Kruger. Hannes again beat the first defender, and with the defenders fixated on stopping him from reaching the try line he again off-loaded for Conor Kennedy to score. 27 11 Exiles.

Conor Kennedy score his first of two tries

Exiles‘ conversion time

Hooker, Dave Gairn, back on the pitch after missing the Tigers game

At this juncture the Dubai Exiles looked like they were cruising, they had all of the momentum, and they had a significant gap on the scoreboard. But, as you expect with Abu Dhabi Harlequins teams they were not about to roll over and give up. Quite to the contrary, the 27 – 14 scoreline galvanised them into a frenzy of hard running activity.

A string of penalties awarded to the Harlequins by referee Monray Gilbert had given the Abu Dhabi Premiership rugby side a strong foothold in the Exiles‘ 22. Despite several opportunities, the Exiles, failed to escape the Abu Dhabi grip. Another penalty awarded to the Harlequins and they had an attacking line out on the 5m line. The initial surge was repelled by the Exiles‘ pack but Abu Dhabi were smart enough to roll the ball around to the short side and over the line. A great conversion from wide out on the left and it was 27 – 21 Exiles.

Another teenager, Hannes Kruger, had a great game

The conversion was significant. There’a bit of a difference between chasing an 8 point lead and a 6 point lead. The Harlequins certainly had their tails up and were beginning to fancy themselves to challenge for the top spot in the UAE Premiership.

It was all Abu Dhabi Harlequins now. The Exiles were again getting heavily penalised at the breakdowns and several unforced errors were not helping their cause. After a series of scrums in the Exiles‘ 22, Abu Dhabi finally managed to squeeze over in the corner. You had to give credit to the Exiles‘ pack, they’d battled in each and every scrum to make sure the Quins had to work hard for every inch of pitch. They crossed eventually, but a significant amount of time had been taken off the clock. 27 – 26 Exiles. Nerves very much jangling.

Stephen ‘stavo’ Ferguson lines up a tackle

Harlequins under pressure

The clock was winding down, and you have to give credit to the home side, they still wanted to play rugby, they wanted to win, and they wanted to entertain the gathered supporters who were keen to share their excitement. Phase after phase after phase of attacks in the Abu Dhabi‘ 22 were being battled against by the team in white and with each phase time was expiring. What the Abu Dhabi Harlequins needed was the ball, what they ended up doing was giving a very kickable penalty away to the Exiles. Kicked by Marcus Kruger 30 – 26 Exiles.

The show wasn’t over yet. The Exiles‘ lead was still very much assailable. The Exiles failed to collect the restart and Abu Dhabi were again on the attack, but maybe it was becoming ‘last chance saloon’ time. Abu Dhabi Harlequins were trying to find space, moving the ball around, running across field, but failing to go forward. Their final chance came when Exiles‘ centre, Brad Owako, was yellow carded for what the referee judged to be a deliberate knock-on.

The penalty was kicked into the Exiles‘ 22 and Abu Dhabi set themselves up for one final surge. The Exiles made what the Abu Dhabi Harlequins‘ Coach would later describe as a “very ballsy call”. As the Harlequins‘ hooker sent the ball towards the line out, the Exiles‘ line stood up, stood off, and backed off. The Abu Dhabi Harlequins formed their maul and with no engagement from any of the Exiles were quickly pinged by referee, Monray Gilbert, for obstruction which brought an end to a very tough match for both high flying amateur rugby sides.

Matt Mills was happy, and relieved, with the win

A tough game played in good spirit

DUBAI EXILES RFC v ABU DHABI HARLEQUINS

UAE Premiership (22nd January 2022)