They opened the season with a feast of tries in a trouncing of new boys Dubai Eagles, yet Kristian Stinson knows Dubai Hurricanes will pose a very different threat.
The 2015/16 double winners started the new season in scintillating fashion, thrashing Eagles 85-8. Jacques Benade’s men looked back to something approaching their best after a lackluster 2016/17 campaign – flawless in the set-piece, inventive in the back line and flexing their intimidating muscle in the pack.
But Exiles stalwart Stinson is expecting a more thorough examination of their title credentials tonight.
“It will definitely be a much sterner test to last week, the Hurricanes will be a lot better organised and structured than the Eagles,” said the Northern Irish peop – a former Hurricane.
“However, until we play a few more games, everyone is really an unknown quantity at this stage, especially given the amount of recruitment that has gone on behind the scenes.
“We’re expecting the Canes to be well drilled, fit and to come at us hard. They have the edge on us after last season’s games and it’s always a ferocious local derby, especially given the toing and frowing of the past few seasons.
“Whilst our boys played very well last week and dominated every facet of the game, this will be a very different test and we will need to be at our combative and clinical best to get the result we are after.
“The boys are hungry to be involved in the team, the competition for places is causing a lot of ferocity at training and I expect us to take that on to the pitch. It should be a belter.”
Exiles suffered a 19-17 defeat in their first encounter with Canes last season. And although they recovered to win the second West Asia Premiership meeting 33-12 in February – Canes beat Exiles to claim the West Asia Trophy.
Canes and Exiles is a big Dubai derby and Mike Wernham’s men head into the game on the back of their own win on opening night – a 28-13 victory against Abu Dhabi Saracens.
And Canes director of rugby Wernham says there’s been a lot of excitement in training this week ahead of what should be a titanic tussle.
“It’s a huge game,” he said.
“With the recruitment Exiles have put together and the squad they have, we’re very complimentary of them, but we know on our day, just like we did last season, we can turn sides like these over.
“We had a pleasing start to the season but we analysed after the game that we wasted some opportunities and that left the lads annoyed. We’ve trained this week with that in mind and we’re playing Exiles.
“We’re incredibly excited about the prospect. It’s an unbelievable opportunity and hopefully we can carry on and drag the result out that we want. They trained really well this week and the whole camp is excited for the game. A lot of lads have put their hands up.
“So much competition means some players will miss out as Daniel Perry and Andrew Powell, our UAE boys, are back in the squad. Competition is fierce and you could see that at training.”