DUBAI — The first foray into the club matches involving a Saudi-based team at the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens pitched the Riyadh Scorpions against the Dubai Hurricanes Veterans.



The huge experience of the Dubai team was clear from the outset in their superior handling skills, but the Scorpions held them man for man in the scrums and rucks.



The Scorpions promised rather more than they delivered with some moments of lively play. When their passes connected, the threes line moved forward with good momentum and they did not make it easy for the Hurricanes.



However, the experience and continuous attrition from the Hurricanes wore down the Scorpions who conceded victory with a 21-0 score line.



They fared a little better in their second encounter at least with the score. The 28-7 result against a fluid Al-Ain team put some points into their account. The converted try, however, came midway through the first half when the adrenaline was up and followed less than a minute after Al-Ain had burst through Scorpions’ three-quarter line and barreled over the line for the first of four converted tries.



It was the precursor of the style that would tame the Scorpions, who were tardy in marking the opposition and tackled with less aggression than was needed to stop a now very confident Al-Ain team. They scored a second easy try in the first half and the second was a reprise with three players sharing the ball as they trotted in the final try, leaving the Scorpions trailing 21 points shy at the end of play.



As the day waned, Jeddah ran out for their first match. They almost missed it as the heavy Sevens bound traffic held them up and they arrived with just a few minutes to spar. The edginess they picked up from almost missing their scheduled encounter with the Dubai Wasps translated itself into a focused and aggressive spirit that dominated the Wasps with tries by Abdul Khamayes, Martin Green, Sou Miyake, and two from Lee Hopkins, one converted. Wasp struck back with two tries, one converted leaving Jeddah on a high at 27-12 and both jubilant and relieved at having made the venue and winning. It was a grand and practiced performance that saw Jeddah at its best.



Riyadh Falcons against Dubai Wasps followed Jeddah’s contest. The Falcons, clearly revved up by Jeddah’s ebullient performance, ran in five tries, four converted to Wasps. A Wasp yellow card and some decisions by the match official that brought gasps of disbelief from supporters of both teams marred the match.



In one of the last matches, a reinvigorated Riyadh Scorpions put up a hugely creditable battle against the Arabian Knight Veterans side. Knights’ one unconverted try to Scorpions’ nil gives some indication as to the balance of the match with Scorpions more than once getting to within a meter of Knight’s line but not quite making the try. — SG