The second round of the 2016 Qatar Rugby Sevens had six matches played last Saturday night at the Aspire Warm Up and purpose-built Rugby pitch. The exceptionally cool evening affected the fundamentals of the game but not the scoring ability of a few teams.
The Camels 1 continued their winning streak and high scoring performances posting two huge wins. In their opening match against the College of North Atlantic (CNAQ) they romped a thundering 54 points to 5. To their credit the college boys became the first team to cross over the Camels line so far in this competition.
Al Khor was the next victim for the Camels as they went on another scoring spree 42-0. As expected the young bay boys were high spirited and full of vitality knowing they were up against some of the top national players including the Fijian trio.
After the match Al Khor Captain Allen O Halloran said, “We knew we were facing the best players in Qatar but that only made my boys more determined to play. Playing against high calibre players can only improve our game.”
Camels captain and Fijian rugby sensation Iliesa Rakabu was at his best playing and sharing his tries with his teammates. He said, “It’s really good to be playing rugby in Qatar and help in developing the sport’s profile. I enjoy playing with my new team-mates and we enjoy winning together. The other Doha teams, even though they are finding it tough to play against us now, will improve over the long run. That is evident in the Qatari boys.”
Earlier in the evening, Al Khor managed to block out the Blue Falcons 26-0. The bay boys dominated from the outset and controlled the game well. The Blue Falcons, with many of their top players out, tried aimlessly to take advantage of a few rare opportunities.
The best match of the night ended up in a draw when the Camels 2 played host to the DRFC Hurricanes. The Camels second side started of brilliantly and looked like they may run away with the match scoring 2 quick tries before half time to lead 12 -5.
DRFC looked like a different outfit to the one playing last week with an improved defensive line. Their attack up the middle and one-handed offloads were pretty to watch. They had more ball possession and willing to swing the ball from left to right and back again in the same set of play. Their risk-taking strategy to flirt with the cool breeze almost won them their match however a missed conversion in the dying minutes was heart breaking for them. The final score 17-17.
DRFC captain and player Issac Banks later said, “The Camels surprised us with their willingness to use the ball. Two sloppy errors by us resulted in tries to them and while we had the chance to win the game in the final few minutes we couldn’t convert.”
Talal Mujalli Camels 2 captain was a little disappointed saying, “We had them at half time and we should have continued our momentum in the second half. But we made many mistakes two of which were definite tries. We need to work on our basics.”
The Blue Falcons second match was against Camels 2 who proved to be too good for the French boys beating them 26-0.
DRFC Hurricanes also had a surprising 26-0 victory over the Lions.
The Hurricanes are also rumoured to have signed former Filipino rugby sevens international Mark Chatting who should add more fire power in the forwards pack.
The Qatar Rugby Federation in its capacity to promote and encourage outstanding play handed out prize money to six of the best players adjudged Man of the Match.
QRF boss Yousef al-Kuwari said, “It’s hard to pick 6 best players from 105 individuals. The best player on the field does not necessarily always come from the winning team. It’s important to be fair and just and reward the players that are doing their best regardless of the result.”