Dubai: Having choked at the chance to bury their Arabian Gulf ghosts by drawing their first competitive game away to Sri Lanka 13-13 in the Asian Five Nations last Saturday, the UAE must now prove their transitory hangover is finally cleared with victory over Kazakhstan in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

That's a point UAE coach Bruce Birtwhistle and captain Mike Cox-Hill both agree on, but despite a nervy rebirth in Colombo any suggestion that there's still one eye on the past is firmly quashed despite the noticeably reduced talent-catchment.

With the Arabian Gulf now subdivided for the betterment of the game, key Omani, Bahraini and Qatar-based players are effectively retired from international rugby in their early 20s as their home-states fail to find their feet as quickly as the UAE has after the split.

The transition occurred on New Year's Eve 2010/11 but the chance to move on competitively has only come now with the start of the Asian Five Nations Top Five competition.

"We reflect on the past because we had good successes as the Arabian Gulf and a lot of the guys are still our friends," said Cox-Hill.

"But we're very much our own team. We've drawn a line in the sand, the Gulf has gone and it's about the here and now."

That line would have been more evident with a win over Sri Lanka on their competitive debut in awful conditions.

"The pitch conditions produced a leveller," Cox-Hill said.

"It was a kick-chase game where anything could have happened.

"In reflection, the three points were important. Our predecessors never won in the Asian Five Nations away from home."

Of their upcoming tie with "old foes" Kazakhstan, at Zayed Sports City from 7pm on Friday, coach Bruce Birtwhistle said: "We'll face a tough battle up front which we'll need to meet head on. The Kazakhs are an experienced bunch with a tough brand of rugby."

Five of the 15 UAE players remain from the Arabian Gulf side last year.

There are also some left over from the year before that, but the rest of the squad is made up of Test debutants who have become eligible under IRB three-year residency rules or citizenship.

Stronger this year

"Of the players that have come through, especially the forwards, I feel we are stronger than the last two years," Birtwhistle said. "We just don't have the same level of experience at the back.

"When you take the guys out of the pool that have left us, either due to the break-up, moving-on or retirement, it's clear we have to dig deep and move on. We can only deal with what's in front of us."

"We need a rock solid defence against the Kazakhs. Their inside centre and wingers are strong. We'll also have to be disciplined on penalties as their kicker is competent from 50-55 metres."