The Immortals emphatically kept their do-or-die push to the Spring Championship final alive on Saturday afternoon, dispatching the visiting Balamand Razorbacks with a strong second half display to leapfrog them into second spot. Both teams are level on four points with the pressure now on the northerners, who, if they lose to AUB next week, will need to beat LAU by at least 21 points in the final round match of the season to qualify for the final. In a sign of just how tight things have been this term, both teams entered the match with a points difference of plus twelve, and at halftime LAU had eked out only a two-point gap, leading 14-12. But, just as they had against AUB two weeks ago, LAU were irresistible in the second stanza, running in five tries to Balamand's two to put themselves in pole position to reach a fifth straight Spring final.

Five-eighth Karim Jamal provided the spark against a Balamand side missing three of its first choice forwards, slicing through midfield from a scrum to set up the position from which Ibrahim Ballout scored. On the next set LAU stretched their lead to ten points, working the short side well to send wing George Rahal on a 70-metre gallop to the line. By the 20-minute mark LAU were 14-0 up after prop Saad Sabra scored a rare try. Balamand fullback Riad Khoury inexplicably hacked Jawad Fakih's last tackle chip and chase back into LAU's possession, and during a fresh set Sabra exploited a seam in Balamand's overworked defence to angle his way over from 20-metres.

Balamand had had their chances too, but forced passes deep inside LAU territory and two fumbles from player-coach Mo Habbous and influential Omar Darwich close to the goal-line dashed the Razorbacks' best opportunities. Finally Darwich, whose powerful runs were a feature of Balamand's play all day, began the visitors' revival, reaching out in a double tackle to plant the ball on the line. Then, cousin Darwich Darwich sliced through a gap and just had the legs to score before Fakih could close him down. Two conversions from centre Gilbert Haydamous put Balamand within two points at the half.

LAU extended their lead to 24-12 after tries from Fakih and Robin Hachache before Omar Darwich scored his second to cut the gap to one score yet again. Then UOB cut their own throats. A petulant kick in the tackle by Khoury netted LAU a penalty, and although Jamal missed touch Balamand's cover dithered around the bouncing ball, allowing it to roll into touch deep inside their red zone. From the ensuing possession Rudy Hachache broke through two tackles to score the decisive try. The big utility's subsequent break set up Fakih's second try, and a dropped bomb then led to Robin Hachache's second, an easy 10-metre run to the line down Balamand's short side. Haydamous managed to reduce the points difference with a try at the death, but the advantage is now clearly with the Immortals.