DUBAI // It seems remarkable to think that 80 minutes of rugby on the opening day of the season could define the next six months.
However, that may be what faces Dubai Exiles and Abu Dhabi Saracens when they meet at The Sevens, Dubai, on Friday evening.
Saracens, the UAE’s youngest club, broke into the elite of regional rugby last season, at the expense of the country’s longest established institution.
They pipped the Exiles to the final place in the elite, Gulf Top Six competition, largely on the strength of a shock away win at Jebel Ali Dragons.
The two clubs are likely to be vying for the fourth place in the cross-border tournament this time around, too, meaning Friday’s encounter could be a vitally important one.
However, Alistair Thompson, the Saracens player-coach, says his side are looking upwards after finishing fourth in the UAE Premiership last time around.
“I’d like to think if you look at our squad compared to the same time last year, we are stronger in almost every position,” he said.
“We are not in it just to scrape in this time. What did it for us last year was that shock away win at Jebel Ali Dragons. That type of result is what we want to make more common.”
While Saracens have been light on match practice in pre-season, Exiles have been in action during the past three weekends.
“The players believe in themselves and are committed to be a force to be reckoned with in UAE rugby,” said Jan Venter, the Exiles coach.
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
