Mark Gathercole hopes to mark 10 years of representative rugby by helping the Arabian Gulf win away to Chinese Taipei in the World Cup qualification game at 3 pm today.
The veteran prop made his international debut in 1995, on sand against Kenya in Dubai, and has since gone to appear in more than 70 matches for the Gulf, at sevens and tens as well as 15-a-side.
And the desire to compete and succeed burns just as brightly now as it did when he first pulled on a jersey.
It is Gathercole's third World Cup qualification campaign and he's eager to see the Gulf defeat Chinese Taipei and move a step closer toward going through to the second round for the Asian region.
"It's a game I'm confident we can win," said Gathercole, who is popularly known as Stash.
"This is the strongest Gulf team I've ever played in, and it's now up to us.
Gathercole will present the match-day jerseys to his teammates, including eight new caps. Four are in the starting line-up; centre Stephan Sphor, of Abu Dhabi, goal-kicking winger James Tometzki, of the Dubai Hurricanes plus hooker Vivian Albertyn and lock Mark Fisher, of the Dubai Dragons.
Arabian Gulf squad: Nicholas De Marco (Dubai Dragons); Rob Subbiani (Bahrain), Iutoi Tauafiafi (Dragons), Stephan Spohr (Abu Dhabi), James Tometski (Dubai Hurricanes); Stephen Cooper (Dubai Exiles), Adrian Kerr (Dragons); Mohammad Obeid (Jordan), Vivian Albertyn (Dragons), Mark Gathercole (Exiles), Pete Stapley (Exiles), Mark Fisher (Dragons), Jason Brown (Hurricanes), Andy McFarlane (Dragons), David Clark (Abu Dhabi).
Replacements: Duard Hoffman (Abu Dhabi), Ed Nicholas (Exiles), Amir Mohammad (Dragons), Mike Riley (Exiles), Sean Hurley (Dragons), Damian Gray (Doha), Jonny Blackburn (Exiles).
