The 2007 edition of Liban Espoir has reached the halfway point of its preparation ahead of the tour to Belgrade next month, when the cream of the national championship will play the full Serbian national team. The August 15 match marks the first time that Lebanon's locals have taken on the best another country has to offer, following previous series against Moroccan select sides, Oxford University, the England Lionhearts and the British Army's Cypriot garrisons. The second match of the tour will pit Lebanon against a Serbian federation development XIII on August 18, the first match of a double-header which is headlined by Serbia's European Shield international against the Czech Republic.

LRLC Director of Coaching Remond Safi, Liban Espoir's head coach since 2005, is satisfied with the squad's preparations so far. "We've gone okay considering we have several rookies in the team, and they've started to fit in well. We're starting to complete sets and the bonding's gone well amongst the players."

The technical staff has made a number of changes to the squad – most of them forced due to Lebanon's annual exodus of young people looking abroad for work, which, since 2006, has seen fifteen players with Espoir experience quit the country to work abroad. Front rows Mounir Finan and Adel Kanso trade places with their AUB team-mates Mohamed Zaweel (dropped), Bassel Rehayem (work commitments) and CL front row Sol Mokdad (working abroad). Back rows Ahmad Al Masri, Ali Khourouj, and former Balamand tyro Allen Soultan have been drafted into the squad as cover. In the backs, 2007 Espoir skipper and Cedar tourist Jad Abinassif and classy utility Rany Chahoud are both now working in the Gulf, with debutant Fadi Azzam and the recalled Omar Darwich brought in to contest the halfback positions alongside the precocious Roy Abla.

While all the changes have affected the squad, Safi is not unduly concerned: "we have a new halves combination but our strength was always in our forwards. Our gameplan has been changed too, and we're now trying to generate a lot more activity around the ball than we have in the past. It's certainly the strongest and quickest Espoir squad we've had."

Add to the mix the possible inclusion of national team coach Darren Maroon, who is attempting to fly to Belgrade for the tour to assess the candidates ahead of Lebanon 's do-or-die World Cup qualifiers this autumn, in addition to holding important talks on development issues with Safi and technical director Danny Kazandjian, and the ingredients of a tour beneficial to Lebanon rugby league's future are in place.

"It will be great to learn from Darren, who's a very experienced coach," continues Safi. "I think he'll be pleased with the players, those of whom he knows have improved their skills. Hopefully they can contribute to Lebanon's bid for the 2008 World Cup."