Friday night saw the first game of the season for the Hurricanes with a pre-season friendly against H.M.S. Kent from the Royal Navy. With only a couple of weeks until the first round of cup matches, this was a good opportunity for the players to stretch their legs and start building momentum for the coming season.

The pack saw a new look with many players coming in from the UAE Falcons Rugby League squad, who were keen to get match practice ahead of their inaugural domestic season. Although an inexperienced pack, they were well led by Greg Wallace, whose runs off the back off the scrum and work at the breakdowns established a platform for Billy Asmar and Bruce King to find the gaps and bring the backs into play.

The Hurricanes’ backline dominated their navy counterparts making the most of the quick ball and spreading it wide. With Gerry Considine a constant threat, his combination with Simon Lyons, who had an impressive debut, had the defensive line on the back foot for the entire game. Slick hands, disciplined running lines, and good support play gave the Canes a comfortable lead by halftime.

With the game already won a couple of injuries for H.M.S. Kent saw Steve Smith & Rich Torley swap shirts for the last 20 and even the ref had a bash at tight head, allowing both teams to finish with fifteen. The game was perhaps not an epic but it was certainly an enjoyable game reflecting the true spirit of Hurricanes rugby.

The game finished 55-7 to the Canes. MoM went to Billy Asmar for leading the new lads from the UAE Falcons and his quality distribution throughout. I’m not sure who got CoM but rest assured it wasn’t King Bruce, who was under strict orders not to drop kick anything!

Tries:                                        Cons:

Wallace x 2                               Smith x 5

Lyons x 2

Torley x 3

Asmar

King

Team:

Bruce King

Billy Asmar

Tareq Al Haddad

Yousef Mohammed

Bassel Othman

Abdul Rahman Mazmi

Sean ? (Exiles guy who Bill needs to recruit)

Dave Bulmer

Gerry Considine

Simon Lyons

Richard Torley

Steve Smith

Greg Wallace

Mike Jackson

Andy Edwards

Abdallah Darwich

Omar ?

Chris Ward