The wait is finally over for the Malta rugby national team who will play their first home international after almost two years when they host Israel in a FIRA-AER Championship qualifier at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off: 2pm).
For Damian Neill’s men this is their second outing in the continental qualifiers after two weeks ago they put on a fighting display to see off Slovenia 24-10 in their opening Conference South 1 match in Ljubljana.
For the Maltese players, the past two years have been very difficult, particularly because they were banned from practising the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malta head coach and technical director Neill related the work done during this difficult time in the sport.
“First of all we missed a lot the social aspect of the game, being together,” Neill told the Times of Malta.