DUBAI // It must feel unfair playing against Jebel Ali Dragons sometimes.
Just when they think you have them where you want them, they find an extra gear and leave you crushed.
The rest of the Gulf Top Six peloton are probably ruing the day Abu Dhabi Harlequins did a job on the West Asia champions.
Quins were the side who poked the beast when they trounced the Dragons in the opening fixture of this season.
Everybody else has been paying for it since.
Dubai Hurricanes were the latest side left licking Dragons-inflicted wounds on Friday.
This was the third successive win since that hefty defeat a month ago, and it was an impressive show of strength in the depth of the Dragons squad.
Hurricanes must have thought they had a chance when they saw the champions’ list of absentees.
Dan Bell was injured, Imad Reyal was attending a wedding, Richie Leyden has retired, Paul Hart has momentarily given in to the ageing process.
And Andy Russell was still 30 minutes away when play kicked off. If you picked a league select XV, that lot might provide the core. So it was left to the likes of Ross Samson, Murray Strang, Nick Taylor and Sean Crombie to hold the fort instead. Those playing riches are embarrassing.
Hurricanes will have felt they had a chance, too, when they held an 10-8 lead just after half-time when Harry Woods scored in the corner.
Then Russell, who arrived from work with 10 minutes left of the first half, started to do his thing, and shortly after the Dragons were out of sight.
Crombie scored two poacher’s tries, belying the fact he is supposed to be a hooker, Al Delamie touched down after a breakaway, which took the away side to a bonus point when added to a first-half score by Taylor.
“The good thing about this side is they have a habit about putting bad days at the office [like the opening day loss to Quins] behind them,” said Ross Mills, the Dragons coach.
“I don’t know why they do it, but people like to keep writing us off. But we have just improved step by step after being hammered by Quins.
“We are building and building, some of our injured players are coming back. We will be there or thereabouts at the end of the league.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
