The Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship breaks for its usual two-week February hiatus as the first senior rep date of the new year looms. The annual Liban Espoir versus President’s XIII trial match takes place on Saturday 6th February at AUB’s Hostler Centre, with pundits suggesting the Espoirs’ unbeaten record against the President’s XIII is more under threat than ever before.

“Undoubtedly the quality of play in the Bank of Beirut Championship is higher than ever before,” says LRLF technical director Danny Kazandjian. “Couple that with the fact that there are two more teams and more experienced players returning to the competition and you obviously have a larger talent pool to choose from. This selection for the President’s XIII train-on squad was unequivocally the toughest and most encouraging one we’ve had, and it should mean a pretty solid 2010 Bank of Beirut Espoir squad.”

A notable feature of the President’s XIII squad is the number of former rep players present, who are sure to give their lauded opponents a hard time. Veteran duo Naji Bassil and Ibrahim Ballout, both of whom toured the UK in 2005 and Serbia in 2007, are joined by heralded hooker Darwich Darwich, a 2006 and 2007 Espoir tourist, who returns to rep football after suffering a serious knee injury in Serbia three years ago. Najy Ramy, who played on the wing in the 2006 Cyprus tour rounds out the former Espoirs, and at the same time becomes the first AUST rep player following Ahmad El Masri’s suspension, but there are also the likes of 2008 Cedars Ahmad Fadlallah, in terrific form for LAU this season, Mounir Finan and Abdul Bekdache, as well 2008 Cedar trialist Gaby Abou Fayad to give Espoir coach Remond Safi nightmares.

His own squad has been unsettled by the emigration of star centre Ramy Rassi to France, stand off Paul Jabbour to Australia and the twin suspension of Riad Khoury, sent off for Balamand at the weekend, and El Masri. Overseas based incumbents Karim Mourabet, Hanni Rifai, Chris Hobeiche and Akram Al Chamaa all fly in for the match, while the ultra-experienced 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Espoir back Pierre Nasr is drafted in to provide high quality cover for the absentees.

The 24-man Presidential squad will be put through their paces by AUB coach Faysal Jaber and LRLF president Mohamed Habbous himself, before being cut down to 18-men before the big game.

2010 PRESIDENT’S XIII TRAIN-ON SQUAD
Nayef Abisaid (LAU)
Mohamed Akkar (AUB)
Kamal Ali (AUB)
Jad Asmar (UOB)
Joe Safa (LAU)
Hanni Assi (LAU)
Ibrahim Ballout (LAU)
Najy Bassil (UOB)
Abdul Bekdache (UOB)
Ayman Bitar (Wolves)
Mohamed Chaker (UOB)
Darwich Darwich (UOB)
Ahmad Fadlallah (LAU)
Mounir Finan (Jounieh)
Gaby Abou Fayad (Wolves)
Talal Harmouche (Jounieh)
Mounib Ismael (UOB)
Aboud Karim Jameel (UOB)
Karim Jamal (LAU)
Yves Khoury (LAU)
Tarek Makhlouf (UOB)
Sami Mansour (UOB)
Najy Ramy (AUST)
Mohamed Tawil (AUB)