Bahrain Rugby Football Club’s (RFC) first XV had their final training session last night before the new Gulf rugby season kicks off against Doha IIs in Qatar tomorrow. 

The starting line-up for the season-opener will be confirmed later this morning and as is the case at this time of year, there will be very much a new-look to the Bahrain side, with a host of new and returning players in the frame.

Having impressed during last week’s training match against HMS Richmond, big, bad Luke Radley is expected to get the nod to pull the strings from fly-half in what would be his first competitive outing in Bahrain colours since breaking his jaw in the opening round of the Gulf Top Six in 2013.

Since then, Radley has endured a two-year sabbatical with Ampthill RFC in the UK but now he has unfinished business in the Gulf after his impact on the pitch never quite matched up to his impact off the pitch during his previous stint with the club.

His signing and those of fellow returnee Jack Sale, who first played rugby at Bahrain RFC at the age of four, and newcomers Daniel Tomanek, Henry Frost, rugby league convert Lyndon English and former Doha clubmen Kern Wales and Matt Axton have provided a well-timed boost to a Bahrain squad that finished bottom of the Top Six table in 2015.

Bahrain have been further boosted over the summer by the permanent signings of Elliot Behan, Toby Borrow, Rob Bennett and Alastair Crombie, who all spent the latter part of last season on trial.

The front-row unit for tomorrow’s game should make for particularly interesting reading as doubts over Rich Muncaster and Sal Wilson could see either or both of Matt McKee and Mark Burnell finally complete a remarkable transformation.