HURRICANES 25, HARLEQUINS 45
Dubai Hurricanes - Tries: Rust, penalty try, Ives, Johnson; Con: Foster; Pen: Foster
Abu Dhabi Harlequins - Tries: Marshall 2, Hawley, Umu, Pene, S Bolger, Cons: Manning 5
Man of the match - Chris Marshall (Harlequins)
DUBAI // The treble dream is still alive, as is the potential for a first all-Abu Dhabi Gulf Top Six final.
Not that the capital’s oldest club are playing like the best side in the Middle East at present.
Harlequins maintained their pursuit of a place in the season-ending finale by running in seven tries against a below-par Dubai Hurricanes.
But they acknowledged they are still some way short of the standards they set in beating the same opposition to win the final of the UAE Premiership last year.
“When we lost our structure, that is when we started to struggle. We have to stick to our strengths,” said Chris Marshall, who scored two tries for Quins.
“We have got standards we want to hit. We won the UAE Premiership before Christmas, we are very proud of that.
“We want to get back to that level and we are frustrated with this. We know we can get better and we have more gears to come.”
Their neighbours, Saracens, look certain of a final place after their fifth win in succession maintained their place at the top of the table.
Travelling abroad for the first time this campaign and without their suspended captain Jaen Botes, they beat Bahrain 22-8 in Saar.
Harlequins kept the pressure up on second-placed Doha with their victory on the road in Dubai.
They believe they can cut the deficit to Doha, despite losing the first two matches of the season, as the same thing happened at the start of the UAE Premiership.
“We know we have got it in us to make that final,” Marshall said.
“Sarries are looking really strong for the final. Them beating us for the first time [last month] was gutting for us, but they have some really serious players.
“We know we could meet them if we got to the final but we have to get there first. We have a lot of respect for them.”
Having topped the league table in the Premiership, Hurricanes have barely recovered from then losing the final to Harlequins.
They have lost four matches in a row in the cross-border competition and Ross Mills, the coach, said they are at a loss to figure out the reasons.
“You can’t give teams in the Gulf Top Six a 15-point head start because you are staring down a double-barrelled shotgun then,” Mills said.
“It is amateur rugby. There is nothing to worry about.
“Yes, the sponsors want to be associated with winning teams, but we are still getting 35 to 40 people to training every Wednesday.
“We have looked at lots of things. Is it the coaching team, is it something at training, or is it something that is happening beyond the whitewash?
“Everyone has said it is just what is going on beyond the whitewash. They feel they are letting themselves down. We will keep fighting.”
Jamie Clarke, the former Harlequins captain, was on the scoresheet as Doha maintained their grip on second place.
The former UAE international flanker touched down the last try as the Qatari side comprehensively beat Jebel Ali Dragons 27-0 on home soil.
pradley@thenational.ae
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