From the rise of Dubai Exiles to fixture clashes — the best and worst of the UAE rugby season

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Kristian Stinson scored the try and kicked the conversion which set the seal on a season of triumph for Dubai Exiles on Friday evening. Not bad for a prop forward. The excellence of the double-winning side from Dubai has been the major feature of the UAE rugby season, but it has not been the only feature. Here are some of the best and worst things to have happened over the course of the 2015-16 campaign.

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Best recruitment — Dubai Exiles

During their glory years, Dubai Hurricanes used to claim their recruitment technique amounted to going up to the biggest bloke in Barasti on a night out, and seeing if he played rugby. Dubai Exiles’ approach was rather more targeted this time around, but pressing the flesh does still work, apparently. On one trip to a Dubai shopping mall after his early arrival from Northern Ireland, the new Exiles coach Jacques Benade noticed someone who looked young, big and Fijian. They got talking, and 17-year-old Arthur Leveanasiga was suddenly on his way to being an Exile. “My older brother can play, too,” he said. He certainly can. Second-row forward Vereniki, who was recruited as part of the bargain, was one of the outstanding players as the Exiles first XV won a UAE and West Asia double.

Worst clash — Jebel Ali Dragons

Over the past six seasons, there have been five different winners of the title of the No 1 side in West Asia. Only one was able to retain it: Jebel Ali Dragons, in 2013. They started this campaign with great expectations about a return to the form that brought them back-to-back trebles. Then a coaching appointment fell through, and two Premiership fixtures clashed with separate legs of the Asian Sevens Series. While the spread of players from other clubs was relatively even, seven out of the 12 players in the UAE sevens squad were from the Dragons. They limped through the matches that clashed, and failed to recover momentum thereafter. Still, at least they can look forward to the arrival of Henry Paul as head coach next season.

Best clash — Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Exiles

This could work as an overview of the whole season, given the two sides divvied up the major trophies between them and vied with each other to the last. But specifically, the 80 minutes they played at Zayed Sports City in the first half of the UAE Premiership was gripping rugby. No one realised Exiles were genuine contenders at this point. Perhaps not even the side themselves. There was a reason for the scepticism. Years of underachievement. In this fixture, they shocked the most consistent side in Gulf rugby in the recent past. They were denied at the end, by a final-play try from Barry Dwyer in a 22-18 win for Harlequins, but their statement had been made.

Worst blight — Forfeits

Having three divisions for 15-a-side rugby for the first time is great, but playing resources have clearly been spread thin at some clubs. There were a spate of forfeits this season. At one point, Sharjah Wanderers were top of the second-tier, UAE Conference top six competition without having played a match. At a similar time, the treble-chasing Abu Dhabi Harlequins had played one match of XVs rugby in the space of three months, through no fault of their own. For three top-flight clubs, each of whom support three teams in competition, to forfeit first XV matches across the season is unsatisfactory.

(Second) best revival — Sharjah Wanderers

OK, so Dubai Exiles’ journey from rotten no-hopers to peerless champions of West Asia is a revival narrative that is difficult to top in domestic rugby. But Sharjah Wanderers, another club with a long and storied history, have been in the throes of a heartening comeback in recent times, too. They capped it by winning the Conference title this season. The fact they did it with a injury-time try for a comeback win in a classic final against Jebel Ali Dragons II, and in so doing maintain a season-long unbeaten streak, only added to the effect. “The last thing I remember winning was the Sharjah 10s plate, so this tops everything,” Shane Breen, the Sharjah Wanderers club chairman, said.