It may be all change at Zayed Sport City but new head coach Mike McFarlane insists Abu Dhabi Harlequins have absolutely no intention of relinquishing their UAE Premiership crown.
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Quins thrashed Dubai Hurricanes 39-19 in last season’s showpiece after an ominous start which saw them suffer back-to-back defeats in their opening two games. But they sent out an early warning for the 2015-16 season on Thursday night with a comfortable 24-3 win in the Abu Dhabi derby against West Asia Cup champions and fierce capital city rivals Abu Dhabi Saracens.
New boys Joshua Navabale and Gavin Murphy were among the try scorers for the hosts, so too Sam Bolger, with new signing and skipper Luke Stevenson converting all three tries as well as a penalty on what was a satisfying evening for one half of the capital.
“It was a fantastic performance with grit and determination to break down and prevent Saracens’ very good forward pack to stop them getting a grip of the game,” said McFarlane.
“We met them head on and after we had extinguished the threat of their 10 man rugby we showed our ability out wide with our running rugby and we showed some excellent core skills and gave great support lines.”
McFarlane singled out new signings Pinati Lui and former Al Ain Amblers man Navabale for praise and also reserved special mention for players who came off the bench, which will no doubt provide him with several headaches for next week’s clash with Jebel Ali Dragons.
“We had some big performances in the pack, particularly Pinati and Josua, with excellent depth off the bench. We can’t wait for next week to really get into our structures and play our open, running rugby,” added McFarlane.
The Englishman, a former Quins player who was forced to give up the game a few seasons ago after two leg breaks, was part of the coaching staff at Quins under New Zealander Jeremy Manning, who he replaced earlier in the summer.
Under Manning, a former Heineken Cup winner with Munster, Quins also won the Gulf Men’s League title at the Dubai Sevens last season and the new man is targeting silverware again in his debut campaign.
“With the quality and attitude we have, we haven’t even contemplated giving up the Premiership title,” said McFarlane. “This game is a benchmark for us more than anyone else and we will build on it and improve, starting Monday.”