Abu Dhabi Harlequins’ ‘raging inferno’ inspires stunning comeback win over Dubai Exiles

Having had an entire season without any rugby at all, Abu Dhabi Harlequins capped a triumphant return to the sport by snatching the UAE Premiership title from Dubai Exiles after a thrilling final on Saturday night.

While Covid rules meant rugby players in the capital had to go without last season, at least clubs up in Dubai were able to play a version of the sport using modified rules to limit contact.

The Exiles won that competition, just as they had the UAE Premiership the previous campaign – even if they did have to toast that success on Zoom, because of the onset of the pandemic. Going into the final, the Exiles had not lost a XVs match in the best part of three years.

Aside from having a season of rugby development to make up, Harlequins also gave up a headstart in the final at The Sevens, too.

Thanks to the impeccable kicking of Marcus Kruger, the remarkable schoolboy No 10 for the Exiles, the defending champions built a 22-10 lead with an hour gone in the final.

Bayed on by raucous travelling support, though, Harlequins hit back. By the end, they were 34-25 winners, with James McCarthy scoring two tries, Henry Brandon Brown and James Wilson one apiece, while their forward dominance was rewarded with a penalty try.

“We have a saying: ice cold, raging inferno,” Matty Thomas, the Harlequins captain, said. “We have to be ice cold between the ears, but the badge on our chest is our raging inferno.

“It was about making sure we kept our heads, went through our processes, and we work hard enough. That allowed us to play and get a win. But all credit to the Exiles as it was a hell of a fixture.”

Thomas, the Quins fullback who is in his fifth season with the club, said the absence of rugby for so long had been tough to