AL AIN // After a weekend of personal and collective triumph, Adel Al Hendi allowed himself a brief moment of showboating as the UAE clinched third place in the Asian Development Sevens.
With victory against Jordan in the penultimate match of the tournament secured, the UAE playmaker finished off a final-play try with a lavish dive.
It was not quite the “Ash Splash” made famous by the England winger Chris Ashton, more a “Hendi Hurdle”.
Whatever it is called, it was a surprise the young Abu Dhabi Harlequins winger had the energy to do anything but flop over the line by that stage.
To say he was the heartbeat of a UAE side who had performed admirably in finishing third in their home event, after their season of toil in Asia, is understating the point.
He was the side’s kicker, creator, enforcer, motivator and most other things in between. He had been up late the night before, too, celebrating the UAE Premiership success with his Harlequins clubmates in Dubai.
“As soon as I was done with my UAE commitments, I wanted to go down and watch the boys,” he said, reporting that he celebrated for 30 minutes at The Sevens but was back in Al Ain by midnight. “They pulled it off. We were underdogs going into that match, but we performed awesomely.”
Given the local rivalry in a tournament involving Afghanistan, Jordan and Iran – who beat Lebanon 10-5 in the final – it was no surprise there were some bruising hits in Al Ain.
The UAE finished their final pool match against Afghanistan and the third-place play-off against Jordan playing against six players.
The Emiratis, though, held their own in the physicality stakes. In Al Hendi’s case, he punched well above his slight frame, essaying a string of tackles that were as notable for their timing as they were their power.
He made a last-ditch, game-saving try against Afghanistan, then set the tone against Jordan with a colossal hit in the opening play of the play-off.
“Our defensive structure is good, we drift well, but then it is all about making that tackle,” Al Hendi said. “A few of us like to set the example. Dumbell [Mohammed Hassan] made some massive hits, and Cyrus [Homayoun, the team’s captain], his shoulder has gone because he has been making so many hits.”
Roelof Kotze, the UAE coach, said finishing third was a significant boost to a side who had only known a losing feeling on the Asian Sevens Series.
“It has been a good experience because you have to learn to win,” Kotze said. “It is a sign we are starting to believe in what we do. The players are very disappointed they didn’t make the final.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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