ABU DHABI // Emirati Hassan Al Noobi delivered when it mattered most as Abu Dhabi Saracens avenged their opening-game defeat to city rivals Harlequins with a last gasp victory at Al Ghazal Golf Club.
The fullback kicked a match-winning penalty to clinch a 20-18 victory and blow the UAE Premiership title race wide open but Saracens will be grateful that Luke Stevenson’s radar was off as he missed two late penalties that could have handed victory to the visitors instead.
“We said all week that the scoreline in our first meeting suggested they were a lot better than us in the first game. We were not disciplined well in that game and they scored a couple of runaway tries to win,” Saracens player-coach Craig Nutt said.
“We knew if we kept the referee on our side we could definitely beat them. Yet the discipline lacked a bit in the last 10 minutes and we conceded two penalties but, fortunately for us, they missed them both.”
Harlequins beat Saracens 24-3 last month and the omens looked ominous when they headed into the break with a 15-5 lead despite Saracens opening the scoring when Garth van Niekerk touched down.
That was the South Africans last involvement sadly as he was replaced injured with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Al Noobi, who fluffed an earlier penalty, was wide with the conversion.
Stevenson reduced the lead from a penalty and made an excellent touchline conversion on a try scored by Malcolm Greenslade. Willie Unu increased the lead with a second try soon after.
Vano Fourie scored a pushover try and Steve Hamilton went over for a similar touchdown near the posts. The second was converted by Al Noobi as Saracens went ahead 17-15.
Harlequins were down to 14 men when they conceded those two tries, with Unu and Pinati Luis Pinati spending time in the sin-bin.
Stevenson put Harlequins ahead with a penalty but that lead was short lived as Al Noobi was on target for Saracens to regain the lead for a third and final time.
Nutt believed his team’s strategy to play against the wind in the first half was vindicated.
“To be honest, we decided to play against the wind in the first half and still managed to keep them within two scores,” he said.
“If the Harlequins had won then they would have won the league, but this result now keeps it open. Hopefully one of the sides can do a favour for us to be in the race again.”
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