Testing time for Strang on international debut
Published on 17 April 2012

David Kelso
Former Scottish Club Cap Murray Strang has returned to the international stage

The Herald Reports
Murray Strang last night nursed bumps and bruises as he talked about the honour of becoming the latest Scot to perform on the Test stage.

The former Glasgow Hawks playmaker bagged a try on his international debut for the United Arab Emirates but ended up on the losing side in a tetchy and physical battle with Tunisia.

Strang qualified for his adopted nation on residency grounds – he moved to the Gulf four years ago to work as a chartered surveyor – and Duncan Hall, the coach, reckons he can help them earn a place on the rugby map.

Strang, who plays for Abu Dhabi Harlequins, said after the 15-7 defeat in Tunis: "It was supposed to be a friendly in the build-up to the Asian Five Nations tournament, but it was far from that. It turned out to be a physical encounter against a team ranked 37 in the world and featuring seven full-time pros who play in the second-tier of the French Championship. In these circumstances, it was a pretty good result and it was great to get on the scoresheet."

Alastair Thomson, the captain, added: "The intensity of the match will stand the team in good stead for the competition. There were a few off-the-ball incidents that might have been picked up by another referee, but we knew what to expect."

This article was posted on 17-Apr-2012, 06:35 by Hugh Barrow.