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THE cry has gone out to rugby fans to create an intimidating ‘red wall’ of noise on Friday as Bahrain Rugby Football aim to win the West Asia Cup Final for the first time.
The first team players secured arguably their biggest win in years as they fought doggedly to overturn a huge half-time deficit to claim a superb victory over Abu Dhabi Harlequins in the semi-final.
Their day was made even sweeter as results elsewhere meant that the boys in red get a home final in front of the famous Bahrain crowd this weekend and the chance of securing the trophy they narrowly lost last year.
After finishing third in the West Asia Premiership behind runners-up Quins and champions Jebel Ali Dragons earlier this month, Bahrain were given the difficult task of going to Zayed Sports City last Friday to take on the side that beat them 31-25 in a thrilling West Asia Cup Final 12 months ago.
Bahrain’s dismal recent record included five losses and one draw in their six earlier contests against these opponents. A terrible first half littered with ill-discipline and handling errors saw Bahrain trail 21-6 at half-time, staring another heart-breaking loss in the face.
However, some positive substitutions and a much more disciplined showing turned the tide, with Elliot Behan and Rob Bennett powering over for two tries. The result was 20 unanswered points and a stunning 26-21 victory.
Bahrain director of rugby Louie Tonkin was bursting with pride at the final whistle. He said: “We’ve come close to beating Quins in the last couple of seasons but haven’t quite gotten over the line. This was our best performance by far, showing tremendous leadership and belief.
“We’ve been working all year to secure a home draw for the play-offs, and we’ve finally achieved it. Now we have one match left, and it’s going to be a cracker!”
Five minutes before the end of Bahrain’s match, Tonkin had heard that Dubai Exiles had shocked Dragons in the other semi-final … although they had previously managed this in the regular season too. As Exiles finished fourth in the league, Bahrain secured the home advantage due to their higher league standing.
Despite this, Tonkin is not taking anything for granted. He explained: “We’ve beaten Exiles twice this season, but in January they were under strength and were a real handful.
“They will bring their absolute best for this final so we have to be prepared. There were lots of celebrations over the weekend, but the hard work starts now to make sure this is truly an occasion to remember for the club and its history.
“I’m extremely proud, this is one of the most special moments of my career and the pinnacle of what we’ve worked towards for the past two years.
“I really hope we can top it off with a win, and having the raucous Bahrain crowd behind us is insane and makes a huge difference. They are our 16th man and we know we are very lucky to have such support.”
The rugby club is calling on all fans wishing to attend Friday’s game, which starts at 5pm, to wear red in order to create an intimidating ‘red wall’ for the visitors.
