Dubai: Reigning Gulf Premiership champs Abu Dhabi Harlequin's hopes of back-to-back league titles took a heavy jolt when old rivals Dubai Exiles toppled the leading club in a torrid encounter on Friday in Dubai.
Harlequins, unbeaten since January of 2009 and buoyed by their Gulf Cup semifinal win a fortnight ago, would have fancied their chances against an Exiles team with a mixed record this season.
However from the opening whistle it was apparent that the in-form team was in for a tough evening.
Early injuries to prop Ben Compton, then Gulf prospect Sean McMahon, shortly followed by pivotal back Murray Strang saw the giant Exiles pack demolish the under-strength Quins scrum. Exiles, with an efficient lineout to operate from, was able to score first half tries to wing Jon Beeton and man mountain Wayne McDonald, the former Super League prop starting in the unfamiliar position of lock and crashing over for his second try in as many weeks.
The second half began as a replay of the first stanza with Beeton scoring out wide for his second of the night and fly half Paul Beard slicing through to earn his team a bonus point to add to their 22-15 upset win.
For the victors, prop Mike Riley was a tower of strength in a fearsome scrum with the 115kg colossus also showing some fine skills around the park.
Harlequins as you would expect from a class side never gave up the match and fought back with tries of their own and applying wave after wave of attacks in the final minutes only for scrabbling Exiles defence to shut them out before referee Scott Herbert blew fulltime.
