Win will leave team in high spirits: UAE Coach

DUBAI: UAE Rugby coach Duncan Hall believes a win in the final match against South Korea in their Asian 5 Nations game will help the team finish on a high and keep them motivated for the next season. "Our aim was to win two matches and it will surely be a two-horse race but our boys are determined to do well," said Hall. "We had a good win against Kazakhstan and it will take a lot of commitment, pride and determination from the boys to defeat Korea."

UAE are currently in fourth place ahead of Kazakhstan after defeating them in a tense home-game at 7he Sevens recently which also ensured UAE stayed in the Top 5. But South Korea will not be an easy opponent for the UAE after they posted a surprise 2-point win over Hong Kong.

"The goal is in front of us and it's tough but it's certainly achievable," added the Australian.

"The defence is a big thing and we have to get that right against Korea. They are a confident team after having defeated Hong Kong. We have learnt a lot from the last couple of matches and rugby is all about challenging yourself," said Hall, who is also the UAE Performance Manager.

He said after a huge drubbing against Japan, the morale of the team was down. "A loss by such a huge margin will make you feel bad. But they have put the past behind and are raring to go."

Detailing plans for the next season, he said: "We started looking at improvements for next year and a lot of it is conditioning. The players need to be committed. We have lot of activities from September to December which should give the team the right boost.

"We are trying to find players who are eligible through the three-year residence policy since many guys in the team are not young.

"We are also working on the Emirati programmes and the guys are looking good and improving fast," added Hall.