Gulf Rugby Round Up Week 14
We look back over the past two weeks which saw final regular season games take place in the Community league two weeks ago, along with Premiership and Conference action this weekend.
Jump right in…
Team of the Week – Barrelhouse
We began the season back in Week one by picking out Barrelhouse as a team to watch this season after seeing them rack up 50 points on an impressive league debut. So it has proved as the season has progressed with the newcomers defeating Dragons 3s 32-31 in a thriller to finish top of the regular season standings in the Community league. They now go into the playoffs as top seeds and will be heavily favoured to get past Harlequins 3s for a place at Finals Day. An impressive effort for the club in their first season of competitive XVs.
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West Asia Premiership
Little change in the standings this week as Hurricanes came close to recording a win away at Harlequins that would have lifted them back into the playoff places but fell agonisingly short in a 35-34 reverse at Zayed Sports City. Exiles recorded a comfortable victory over the Eagles, which guarantees their playoff spot.
Conference
Three fixtures took place this weekend, with all being won by sides from Group B. Abu Dhabi Saracens and Al Ain Amblers continue to match each other in the quest for the final playoff spot both recording comfortable home bonus point wins over Hurricanes 2s and Eagles 2s respectively. Level on 46 points, it is Amblers superior points difference that gives them the edge at the moment, a bonus point win next week over Canes 2s should see them through but Sarries are poised to pounce on any slip up. Elsewhere Dubai Tigers 1s kept up their unbeaten run, grinding out a 31-17 victory away at Quins 2s.
Community
This round of fixtures saw the final league standings and playoff fixtures decided. Barrelhouse edged Dragons 3s in the clash of the two unbeaten sides for top spot. A high scoring win for Tigers 2s away at Al Ain briefly put them in contention to gate-crash the top four, but both RAK Rugby and Harlequins 3s were able to get the job done in their respective fixtures to earn themselves a top four finish. RAK were pushed all the way by the Shaheen who will be pleased to have put 38 points on the board in their final fixture despite falling to defeat.
originallyit was looking like it was going to be a top four playoff in the Community League, but GRM have opened the league up to a knockout playoff between all teams. It does look as though they have been seeded so should make for an interesting few fixtures as below:
[Q1] Barrelhouse 1s vs Harlequins 3s
[Q2] Dragons 3s vs RAK 1s
[Q3] Amblers 2s vs Sharks 2s
[Q4] Tigers 2s vs Shaheen 1s
Article by: Huw Harrow
