Seiichi Shimomura, centre, takes on the UAE during the Test match at The Sevens on May 10, 2013. AFP
Seiichi Shimomura, centre, takes on the UAE during the Test match at The Sevens on May 10, 2013. AFP
Seiichi Shimomura, centre, takes on the UAE during the Test match at The Sevens on May 10, 2013. AFP
Seiichi Shimomura, centre, takes on the UAE during the Test match at The Sevens on May 10, 2013. AFP

On this day, May 10, 2013: Eddie Jones’s Japan thrash UAE in a rugby Test match in Dubai


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Rugby’s spirit of camaraderie means it is not unusual for opposing players to have their picture taken with each other after matches.

The shots the UAE players got after their Test match against Japan in Dubai on this day in 2013 should be cherished keepsakes by now.

Memories of that 93-3 defeat will have endured long after the bruises have faded. Most notably, the identity of the opposition coach.

Any encounter with Asian rugby’s one great superpower was guaranteed to be Mission Impossible for the part-timers from the Emirates.

To put the challenge into focus, on this occasion, Japan’s coach was Eddie Jones.

Pitch Two at The Sevens, lined as it is by neatly manicured grassed banks, might seem a little humble for a man of Jones’ achievements. The uber-coach, after all, has been to World Cup finals with three different teams.

At this point in time, though, he was midway through masterminding Japan’s campaign to make a success of the 2015 World Cup in England.

At this point, they had won just one World Cup match ever, and that way back in 1991.

That would be rectified in such dramatic fashion two years later, with the win over South Africa in Brighton that even inspired a movie.

Given the disparity in resources available to the two nations, Japan really did not need a coach of Jones’ calibre to be assured a win in Dubai.

On their previous trip to the city for an Asian Five Nations fixture, they had meted out a 111-0 drubbing to their hosts on the main field at The Sevens.

This time around, they opted to rest a number of first team players with a view to a heavy schedule they had to follow – but ended up falling a converted try short of reaching three figures again.

Jones happily posed for photos with the defeated UAE players, and was complimentary about their efforts.

“The UAE got stuck in, they contested well and made the breakdown difficult for us,” Jones said, before offering an opinion on the next assignment UAE would face.

“I'm sure the UAE, if they play like that against the Philippines, will do well.”

Unlike a year earlier, when Jones had correctly forecast UAE would win their seminal match against Kazakhstan and retain their place in the top-tier of Asian rugby, he was wrong this time.

A week later, UAE lost to Philippines and were relegated from the Asian Five Nations. They have not been back to the top flight since.

That was the real bitter pill, not the trouncing by Japan. The Philippines was seen as a winnable match – the Japan one certainly was not.

“Quite simply, Japan are a juggernaut, they are well ahead of the competition in fitness, skill, resources and development," Duncan Hall, the UAE coach, had said in the lead up to the game.

“Our overall goal from the 2013 tournament is to retain our position in the Top Five and we had identified two games as winnable. That is not our goal or focus for this match.”

RESULTS

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)

5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham

6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi

6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi

7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi

8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan

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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

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4.

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6.

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10.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
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7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
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8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
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8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
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9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Fifa Club World Cup:

When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid

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The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

65
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Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
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england euro squad

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Scorebox

Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88

Eagles

Try: Penalty

Bahrain

Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley

Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5

SPECS
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

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May 9, v Malaysia
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May 13, v Malaysia
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Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh 

Rating: 5/5