In a warm up fixture against the Jeddah Select (Rebels) under-17 team on Monday, the first ever 13-a-side international rules rugby league fixture in the Kingdom, the Camels displayed some aggressive running and tackling that saw them beat the more experienced team, on average 18 months per man older, 30 points to 28. The Camels play Palestine on Thursday in the first match of the international series.
“It was the first time the Camel’s get to play a full 80 minute game under full international rules and against a team that knew what it was doing,” Shaun Nicholls, head of rugby at the American International School in Jeddah. He added that there were no injuries, a fear before the match. “It was worth the risk. They needed the experience of the match before travelling,” he said.
The Rebels were out to teach a lesson and they dominated the first 10 minutes with a veritable blitzkrieg that left the Camels looking disorganized and somewhat dazed. Tries by Argentinian hooker Ocampo and a full-length sprint by scrum half Adriaan Potgieter took the score 12-0 with barely 15 minutes on the clock, both tries converted by Potgeiter. Gradually the tide began to turn with a scrappy slack-water period that saw both sides producing unforced handling errors and too many scrums that slowed down the flow of play. Referee David Martin had his hands full controlling the game with so many of the players feeling their way for the first time in a full length 13 a side encounter.
The tide turned with the introduction of second row substitutes Bisher Shehabi and Ahmad Al Darubi into the Camels line-up. With captain Ruan Knuppel calling the shots the Camels started to make more headway and they where rewarded when a thumping up-and-under by loose forward Zander Potgieter was dropped by the Rebel’s full back. Camel’s stand-off Abdul-Wahab pounced and tumbled over the line to bring the scores back to 12-6 after a successful conversion. The Camels ran in two quick tries before half time first from a barnstorming run by Darubi saw him under the posts and then winger Sharbatly forced his way over from dummy half to bring the score to 16-12 at half time in favor of the Saudis.
The second half saw play ebb and flow with the number of substitutions causing the play, though very forceful and disciplined, to look a little stagnant at times. It was Shehabi who set the game alight when at full sprint he received a beautifully placed pass from a set piece and ran 60 meters, shrugging off tackles and challenges along the way leaving the opposition standing to score in the corner.
It was, however, not all over for the Rebels. Camels’ Zander Potgeiter flung a long ranging pass that his brother Adriaan intercepted at full tilt for the Rebels and scorched the length of the field unopposed to score and convert bringing the points differential down to two.
Slipping into overdrive, Shehabi read the game perfectly and repeated his previous charge to claim his second try of the evening. Zander converted and at 26-18 with 10 minutes to go, the Camels looked set to cruise.
The Rebels were not finished and showed their depth of spirit with two quick tries from Ocampo and center Basadien and a conversion from Adriaan put them in back the lead by two points.
Shehabi was not finished either. On cue, he put his head down and plowed through five Rebel defenders to win the game for the Camels and start the celebrations.
Coaches Chris Ratcliffe and Dave Kinkead were happy with the result and the chance to have a run out before the opening game on Thursday. Ratcliffe added "It was a disjointed game on a whole but when you consider that this was the very first game of 13 a'side rugby league for the majority of the boys then you have to take it as a positive,” said Ratcliffe. He added that there were some fine individual performances and with a little more cohesiveness as a team in Beirut, he expected an impressive performance.
Saudi Select (Camels) U'16s 30 beat Jeddah Select U'17s (Rebels) 28
Bisher Shehabi 3, Farid Abdul-Wahab, Ahmad Al Darubi, Hassan Sharbatly.? Goals: Zander Potgieter 3/6.
Manuel Ocampo 2, Adriaan Potgieter 2, Umer Basedien.? Goals: Adriaan Potgieter 4/5.
