Exiles Young Guns Hit Century Against Barrelhouse Rugby Club

We’ll have to keep this one relatively brief. It’s not easy to write a match report where a team runs in 16 tries and finishes with a total of 108 points on the board. At the risk of rewriting Monty Python’s dead parrot sketch into something along the lines of Polly Parrot drinks too much coffee and Red Bull… and the next try and the next try and the next try…

Jamie Annand and Will Bacon discuss the route to the try line

Seb Snass goes on the hunt

It was another hot Friday morning at The Sevens Stadium. It was hoped that a 10.45am kick off would take away some of the risk of a burning midday Dubai sun, but from the outset, it was the youngsters that had come through Dubai Exiles‘ Director of Rugby – Jacques Benade‘s player pathway from mini and youth into the senior rugby, Division 1 side, that were already heating up.

It took just a couple of minutes for Exiles to get their first of 16 tries, after a loose Barrelhouse clearance kick the ball was gathered by Marcus Kruger on the Barrelhouse 10m line and the teenager headed off into space on the left. When the Barrelhouse RFC defence did eventually get across, it was too late, the ball had been moved into the hands of Jamie Annand and on to Thinus Steyn who crossed in the corner for his first of 3 tries.

Barrelhouse almost levelled a couple of minute later, a bulldozing run from the Barrelhouse centre blew open the Exiles defence and only a hard chase from Exiles’ scrum half, Victor Pereira, and a full stretch grab stopped the centre making it to the try line.

Thinus Steyn crosses for his first try

Will Bacon at full stretch

Just to save Polly from getting a sore throat and having to buy some Strepsils – the Exiles finished the first 15 minute period with 2 more tries. Thinus Steyn grabbing his second after some fantastic footwork close to the touchline by Victor Pereira set Thinus free to run in and score under the posts.

The final try of the first period was scored by Marcus Kruger, a length of the pitch score. Some swift hands and Jaron Shelley was released down the left wing. With one Barrelhouse defender to beat and 2 support runners to choose from, Jaron picked out Marcus who jogged in the score. 21 – 0 to Exiles.

Barrelhouse Rugby Club were by no means out of the game, they’d put together some good attacks and only some missed passes or dropped final balls had kept them away from threatening the Exiles‘ try line.

Ruck time…

Keith Nyoni looks for a gap

By the end of the second period however, the match was over as a contest. Jacques Benade had given some gentle words of advice in the first period water break.

With the advised adjustments implemented in the middle of the park, a 3 tries in 5 minutes blitz ensued from the Exiles‘ youngsters. Barrelhouse did get a couple of scores on the board during the second period. But by the end of Dubai Exiles 2 v Barrelhouse RFC part 2, Exiles had scored  5 tries and turned around for the final period with a lead of 54 – 12.

Victor Pereira avoids the touch line

Thinus Steyn on his way to another try

Gotta love an Exiles’ flag

Aidan Seyfferdt enjoyed the morning

When Victor Pereira again scored in the first minute of play of the third period, the writing looked like it was on the wall for Barrelhouse RFC. Two minutes on the clock and Exiles were in for a second score, Marcus Kruger gathering a restart and going under the posts unchallenged. 3 minutes on the clock and try number 3 of the third period. This time experienced Exiles senior Thinus Steyn gathered the Barrelhouse restart and proceeded to run the 60 metres to the Barrelhouse posts.

Thinus Steyn gets his third

Referee James Fairbourn has a chat with Herman Frankfurth

Robbie Sproul finishes an Exiles’ attack off

Still four minutes, 5 tries. This time Robbie Sproul got to show his pace and crossed the Barrelhouse RFC try line. Averaging a try every 48 seconds the Exiles took their foot off the accelerator pedal and started to play a little more ‘laissez-faire’. Despite the more relaxed attitude, the Exiles youngsters still crossed Barrelhouse’s whitewash a few more times, finishing the morning with 108 points on The Sevens Stadium Scoreboard to Barrelhouse’s 12.

Marcus Kruger goes through with Seb Sebania