From that point on it was Jeddah all the way, running in tries and converting at will. A couple each from Ali Barnawi and Alan Monkhouse and a clutch of singletons put Jeddah into an untouchable lead with a massive points difference at 45-5 over Hurricanes.
It was for Jeddah the best of days; however into every life a little rain must fall, and it is promised for Saturday, having survived the hurricane, they did not survive Beirut a couple of hours later.
Jeddah looked a completely different team. Gone was the aggression and confidence and although three of Beirut Select’s tries were snatched intercepts, some sloppy handling and indecisive formation play left them wide open to continuous punishment from Beirut. Jeddah limped off the field nursing a 51-0 defeat wiping out their points difference benefit which may well be critical in the second round.
Fugro Wanderers in their anabasis around the 7s pitches stumbled across the Riyadh Warriors and piled on the ignominy. The Warriors fought, but Fugro with more discipline and skill never looked like being troubled by a plucky but disorganized and less fit side.
They went on to further misery with a 19-10 defeat at the claws of the Lanka Lions, having rallied themselves and had a post mortem over the first game that resulted in a sharpening of their focus.
The Riyadh Falcons were left to salvage a quantum of honor from the debris of the Saudi representation. At the halfway stage of their encounter with UAE Wasps were only one converted try ahead and lost a man to a yellow card in the first few seconds of the second half. Even so Wasps ran in another try and all looked to be over at 12-0.
The Falcons, however, girded their loins and swooped. In the space of three minutes they ran in two tries and conversions putting them ahead at 14-12 with just 45 seconds to go. That stung the Wasps into action and while the Falcons were soaring on the wings of victory, they buzzed round a disordered defense to snatch a try and to add insult to injury converted at the whistle to secure a 19-14 win.
The Falcons had to face one more trial to maintain some dignity, the challenge of a substantially built and hungry Fujairah side. Still smarting from their defeat by the Wasps, Riyadh took the initiative and looked to be the team to shout for. The play flowed back and forth over the whole field and as the game unfolded, it seemed that neither side had distinct superiority. Riyadh was able to shut down many of Fujairah’s attacks with some ferocious three-man team tackling and to steal the ball. However, Fujairah was up to the task of keeping the Falcons out.
A last gasp breakthrough from Riyadh ended in the ball snatched from the charge right on the try-line and attracted a penalty try to put Riyadh 21-14 ahead at the whistle. Day two on Friday will sort the wheat from the chaff; it remains to be seen if the hard talking in the Saudi camps Thursday night bears results.
