By Sports Reporter/Doha
Doha RFC handed Abu Dhabi Saracens their first defeat in the Gulf Top 6 Championship here yesterday. The hosts won the wind-swept match 31-17 to go top of the table with a match in hand.
With wind behind their back in the first half, Doha XV made short work of Saracens defence, scoring three tries, courtesy Elliot Johnston, Dinesh Sanjeeva and Luke Ward. Stefano Hunt was able to convert two of those tries as Doha went into the break leading 19-0.
Facing the wind in the second half, Doha’s defence did a commendable job holding their own under massive pressure from the Saracens forward line.
Saracens managed to score three tries and converted two of them, but Liam Frost, who had his 50th cap yesterday, and Ward scored a try each with Hunt converting one of them to earn a bonus-point win.
“That was a big wind out there, and there were 20 points in them for sure,” said Doha coach Aaron Palmer after the match. “We knew that if we used it right, we will get the reward. We knew that while we were in that end of the park, we had to score. So we did that.
“Hard work started with us going into the wind. They had a very good kicker and they used it well. We knew we would have to defend most of that second half.”
Kuwait drew first blood in second half courtesy a botched up clearance by the hosts and the score was 19-7. But soon Palmer and Doha fans lit up when Frost began a run from inside their half and got under the post for a brilliant try. Hunt converted and the score was 26-7. Frost’s try, which was the team’s fourth, earned Doha a bonus point.
“That was the turning point. Frost scored the breakout try under the post against the run of play. That sort of turned the game on its head,” Palmer said. “Overall, our boys played some good rugby. We had to toughen when they started controlling us. They have got a very good team and we just gave them their first loss.”
Doha travels next week for a match at Jebel Ali Dragons, which also their last in the Gulf Top 6 campaign, while Saracens host Bahrain.
Doha and Saracens are comfortably ahead of the other teams in the standings and will play the final with each other. Next week’s matches will decide on the venue.
Doha RFC’s Luke Ward (left) scored two tries in the team’s 31-17 win over Abu Dhabi Saracens yesterday.
