ABU DHABI // The grand ambitions with which Abu Dhabi Harlequins started the season were finally realised on Friday evening as they carried off the Premiership title following a thrilling conclusion to the campaign at Al Ghazal. Nail-biting final days have become the norm in the Arabian Gulf Premiership. For the second consecutive season, only a select few knew exactly what was going on when the final whistle blew on the campaign.
Before the start of play in their final fixture, against Dubai Hurricanes, Quins knew that a win would be enough for them to take the title. With Dubai Dragons, the only side who could stop them, taking a strong squad for their last match in Bahrain, a defeat would in all probability cost the capital side the trophy. Amid all the calculations, the one permutation which was mostly neglected was what would happen if the match was drawn. Inevitably, that was what came to pass, as a rousing comeback from the Hurricanes resulted in a 23-23 tie.
The Quins club chairman, Richard Harris, took to the field and announced to the nonplussed supporters that the club would only learn their fate later, when the Dragons had finished their match in Bahrain. Eventually, after a nervous hour-and-a-half wait, the information from the phone-lines revealed the Dragons had pulled up one try short in their bid for a bonus point, handing the title to Quins.
The former Abu Dhabi Rugby Football Club have made a concerted push for recognition since last summer, which was reflected in their tie-up with the London-based Premiership side Harlequins. "We have just changed to Abu Dhabi Harlequins and a lot of people were wondering how we would get on," reflected their captain and coach, Alastair Thompson. "As a club, I think this [Premiership title] puts us on the map. Rugby is not a huge sport in Abu Dhabi. I know from first-hand experience what it is like to get kids playing the game, but I think this will lift the profile.
"We try to do our bit, the city is growing and we do have the pick of good players at the moment. It is a case of gelling them together." Dubai Hurricanes, and James Tometski in particular, did their best to spoil the party. The outgoing champions, whose title defence was dented irreparably by an availability crisis mid-season, were keen to prove they are still a force to be reckoned with, and their second-half display set nerves racing among the home contingent.
Tometski, the Arabian Gulf winger, is the surest place-kicker in the region and he gave an education with the boot despite the breeze at Al Ghazal. None of his kicks at goal were easy, yet he scored all 23 points, which also included the away side's only try. He crossed the line for a dramatic try to level the scores deep into injury time. Ironically, he then saw his touchline conversion drift inches wide of the left-hand upright. The miss proved crucial. The two points Quins earned for the resultant draw were eventually the difference between them and the Dragons at the top of the Premiership.
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