By Peter Townson
Doha Rugby Football Centre (DRFC) grabbed their second win in two weeks on Friday, when they scored eleven tries to trounce a hapless Kuwait team by 67 points to nil.
Having beaten Bahrain the previous weekend, the Doha team were looking to continue the strong form they have shown so far this season, and in truth, the result was never in doubt as a rampant Doha posted an impressive score against the visitors.The game began with early Doha pressure which was maintained for most of the match as Kuwait only managed limited spells of possession or attacking play throughout.
Doha scored their first try within the first three minutes after winning opposition ball at the lineout before Chris Beard sold a dummy to the visiting defence and went through to score. Beard converted his own try to make the score 7-0.
Beard was called into kicking duty soon again, as he stepped up to add the extra two points after Andy Coomer scored a try in the corner.
Tireless kick chasing by Jaco de Jager was causing the Kuwaiti defence problems throughout the afternoon, but despite the pressure, Doha missed the opportunity to score on a number of occasions.
However, prop forward Richard Liddington was not to miss his chance to cross the line, and scored the third try – following another strong lineout win – which was converted to take the score to 21-0.
A breakaway try from 35 metres out saw Conor Coakley add his name to the home side’s growing list of try-scorers. But his celebrations were curtailed as he was left nursing a pulled hamstring for his efforts and had to be substituted.
Doha continued to surge forward, and with around ten minutes to go until half time they added another try through Conor Dunphy who produced a similarly impressive run from distance to make the score 31-0.
And so it stayed until half time, when coach Aaron Palmer made two changes before the teams came out for the second forty minutes.
Apart from personnel, not much changed in the second half, and Doha were able to sustain their attacking pressure and rack up more points against a struggling Kuwait.
Captain for the day, Liam Frost got the first of his two tries after a quickly taken penalty by Phil Cronin, and Beard was able to add the extra two points from the kicking tee.
With the score 38-0, Doha refused to rest on their laurels and continued to attack in waves.
Frost added his second of the match - and ninth of the season -after some neat interplay between himself and Colm Coyle.
Dominance at the scrum launched yet another attack and Scott Murray scored under the posts to leave Beard an easy conversion, taking the score to 52-0.Coyle was involved again as his audacious dummy sent the Kuwait defence the wrong way and he was able to add another five points to the scoreboard.Almost total domination of the set plays on both their own and their opponents’ ball gave Doha a perfect platform to continue attacking, and they duly obliged.Only a bizarre mistake from winger Ian O’Connor when over the line prevented him from adding to Doha’s total, when all he had to do was put the ball down to score.
Liddington then turned from hero to villain as he received a yellow card for striking an opponent, who also found himself in the sin bin for ten minutes.O’Connor added another try for Doha – this time deciding to place the ball down properly, before Murray ran over for his second of the match, and the home team’s eleventh try in a dominant performance, which ended 67-0.
The result sees Doha crowned victorious in the North Gulf Four competition, and leaves them in a strong position in the region’s main league, the Top Six.
And next weekend, Doha will be hoping to win three in three as they welcome the league leaders, Dubai Hurricanes to DRFC on Friday.
Source:
http://www.gulf-times.com