UAE rugby team in survival battle against Sri Lanka

Dubai: Survival will be the name of the game for both the UAE and Sri Lanka as the 2011 HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition gets under way in Colombo tomorrow.

In the weekend's other match, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong will battle it out for a win and crucial series points in Almaty.

Both Sri Lanka and UAE know that their best chance of remaining in the elite competition next year will be to win this game, for the remaining opponents — defending champions Japan, runners-up last year Kazakhstan and third-place Hong Kong — look strong.

Sri Lanka are making their Top Five debut after winning the HSBC Asian Five Nations Division One in 2010, while the UAE Rugby Association (UAERA) are replacing former regional representatives the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union.

"It is a new beginning for us and a new history. For the first time, our players will be representing a country and I'm very confident we will do well," said Qais Abdullah Al Dhalai, the Deputy General Secretary of UAERA.

In the big league

"We were given two options by the Asian Rugby Football Union when we formed the UAERA. They said we could either continue in the Top Five and take the place of the Arabian Gulf, or start from bottom in Division Five. We chose to stay in the big league. Our goal is now to remain there."

UAERA chief executive Ian Bremner added: "We must return with something from Sri Lanka.

"If we don't win our first game, we will be running up a slope for the remaining matches. Lose and we will have our backs a little bit to the wall.

"We are playing away to Hong Kong and while we have home advantage against Kazakhstan, we lost to them last year. Our best chance of staying in the Top Five next season will be to beat the new boys in the big league Sri Lanka."

Keeping their Top Five spot is the minimum target coach Bruce Birtwistle has set his team, although only five players have been retained from last year's Arabian Gulf XV which finished fourth in the competition with wins over Hong Kong and South Korea.

"We used to be able to draw players from Bahrain, Oman and Qatar in the past, but no more," said New Zealander Birtwistle, who had been in charge of the Arabian Gulf at the last two campaigns.

"We have also lost players who have left the region like Jonny MacDonald who has joined Scotland and played at the Hong Kong Sevens and Adelaide Sevens. His loss is huge."

Opening match action kicks off at 4pm local time in both Colombo and Almaty.

The Sri Lanka versus UAE tie will be shown live on ESPN Star Sports throughout the region.