The Abu Dhabi Bats rugby team are looking to extend their winning start when they take on the Kuwait Nomads in their Arabian Gulf League away fixture in Kuwait City tomorrow night.

The Bats enter the game buoyed by their massive win in last weekend's season opener. The Bats dispatched league newcomers Sharjah Wanderers with a 38-0 victory at their new home ground at the Al Gazzal Golf Club.

Bats captain Richard Harris, however, is loathed to comment on suggestions that Abu Dhabi will run out favourites for the clash.

The burly front-row forward, one of the seven South Africa-born players in the travelling party, was insistent that his team was approaching the season with a one-game-at-a-time policy.

"While we won fairly comfortably against Sharjah, there obviously are areas in which we will need to improve if we are to be competitive against the more established sides such as Kuwait," he said.

The Bats line-up will likely see debuts for Gulf representative Dave Clarke of Scotland and exciting backline player Ross Millar who, pundits suggest, will also be in line for Arabian Gulf duty.

Work commitments have limited Millar's availability in past seasons, but Arabian Gulf Coach Darryl Weir will be monitoring the talented South African's progress closely over the following weeks with a view to the Gulf's busy schedule of international fixtures in the coming months. Also expected to be taking his place in the Abu Dhabi squad this weekend is newcomer Nasser Al-Nasser of Jordan.

Military influence

The Kuwait club's ranks have been strengthened recently due to the influx of military personnel into the region from traditional rugby strongholds such as Britain and Australia.

The rebuilding of their club facilities destroyed by fire two years ago and the implementation of a rigorous off-season fitness programme should hold them in good stead for their clash against the men from the UAE capital.

The Abu Dhabi Bats squad

From: Richard Harris (Captain), Aubrey Roberts, Emmanuel Barry, Simon Powell, Turlough O' Brien, Steve Armstrong, Elliot Benham, David Clark, Duard Hoffman, Zane West, Peter Cape, Stephan Spohr, Petrie Aucamp, Daniel Smith, Ross Miller, Nasser Al-Nasser, William Kennedy, Emmanuel Remy, Shamus Farrell, Marcus Thorpe, Mark Townsend. Coach Graham Parsonage. (Kick-off at 7.30 pm in Kuwait on Thursday, Sept 23).

"While we won fairly comfortably against Sharjah, there obviously are areas in which we will need to improve if we are to be competitive against the more established sides such as Kuwait."

Richard Harris

Captain, Abu Dhabi Bats