Exiles Under 13s TAB their way to UAE A-League title

Sam De Jongh scored a hat-trick

The Dubai Exiles Under 13 rugby side enjoyed a fantastic 2022-23 UAE season. Cup Final wins in the Emirates Dubai 7s Youth Festival, and Trinity Cup, runners up in the HSBC Mini & Youth Rugby Festival followed by a ‘cherry on top of the cake’ UAE title in the A-League final.

Leithan Thompson gets warmed up

Luc De Jongh kicked two conversions

There were quite a few scrums throughout the match

It was a sunny Saturday morning at Al Ain Amblers Rugby Club when the Dubai Exiles Under 13s and the Dubai Hurricanes arrived in the garden city to contest the final of the UAE A-League. Both teams had enjoyed, if enjoyed is the right word, some terrific battles throughout the 2022-23 UAE Mini & Youth rugby season.

William Harper scored the first of Exiles Under 13s four tries

Nathan Ochola is ready for a line-out

Martin Font carries the ball

The Dubai Exiles Under 13s had cemented their place in the A-League final with a win the week before over the Dubai Sharks at The Sevens Stadium. As the young men, from both sides, entered the arena of Pitch 2 at the Amblers it was evident that there were a significant amount of nerves jittering through both sides.

It was the Hurricanes Under 13s that got the game underway with a deep kick off. The Exiles Under 13s made their intentions clear from the start, carrying hard and direct from inside their own 22. The early nerves were on display from both teams. Despite the desire of the two sides to play fast and  expansive rugby, handling errors were frequent and neither side could establish a foothold in the opening exchanges.

It was the Exiles who were the first to shrug off the nerves. A scrum awarded to the Exiles on their own 10m line was the catalyst for a series of phases that were very well constructed and very well managed. The Exiles Under 13s had successfully orchestrated fifteen phases of play before the Hurricanes ran out of defenders allowing the Exiles‘ wing, William Harper, to open the scoring. 5 – 0 to the Exiles Under 13s.

Sam De Jongh was a handful all game

Scrum time on the Hurricanes’ try line

Matches between the two teams had been tight affairs all season. The Hurricanes were next to rattle the scoreboard, a well worked try out on the wide right levelled the score ad it was very mu UAE A-League Final on! 5 – 5.

The game’s ebb and flow resumed, handling errors, from both sides were still very present. However, with the clock ticking down to half time the referee awarded a penalty to the Exiles in front of the Hurricanes‘ posts, about 15 metres out. A tap to Number 8, Sam De Jongh, and despite the attention of a number of Hurricanes defenders the strong Number 8 was under the posts and over the try line. Converted. 12 – 5 to the Exiles Under 13s. Half Time.

Sam Tidman rides a tackle

An enjoyable morning for the Exiles mums and dads!

Celebrations!

The Exiles were looking like good value for their lead. But, after working extremely hard in defence to turn over possession from the Hurricanes in their own 22,an interception pass gave the Hurricanes an open run to the sticks which was gratefully accepted and converted. 12 – 12.

It had turned into an enthralling game of youth rugby. Both sides working incredibly hard and showing some structure well in advance of their age. Both defences were very well organised, and both attacks were more than capable of retaining possession and building phase after phase.

The Exiles‘ third try was a replay of their second. A penalty in front of the posts about 15 metres out, a tap, and Sam De Jongh once again carried several Hurricanes defenders over the try lie with him to score. Converted. 19 – 12 to the Exiles Under 13s.

The Dubai Exiles Under 13s family

The game once again resumed its pattern and tempo, with both sides going at each other with intent and conviction. When the final score of the game came along, it was once again to the Exiles. A scrum on the Hurricanes‘ 5m and just about everybody on the pitch and gathered around it know what was about to happen.

With a solid platform and possession secured, Exiles‘ Number 8, Sam De Jongh, picked the ball from the base and crashed through two defenders to grab a well earned hat-trick of tries much to the delight of everybody wearing a black shirt, both on and off the pitch. 24 – 12 to the Exiles Under 13s – UAE A-League Champions 2022-23.

DUBAI EXILES U13 VS DUBAI HURRICANES U13

UAE A-League Final (11th March 2023) – Al Ain Amblers Rugby Football Club