Second-season syndrome is usually a pejorative term in the sporting lexicon, but try telling that to USJ’s rugby league team. Having been put to the sword in their debut season in the spring, the Saints found themselves in the unaccustomed positions of leading at half time, then winning, and then, most bizarrely of all, sitting in first place in the Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship standings after the opening weekend.

Directed around the park by halves Faysal Jaber and Ray Safi and loose forward Danny Kazandjian, USJ played some scintillating attacking rugby to deservedly run out winners by four-tries-to-two in an at times spiteful match. AUB were first onto the front foot, with representative props Adel Kanso and Mounir Finan pushing their side on, but costly handling errors and solid USJ defending prevented the Wolves from crossing the whitewash. Indeed, in a mark of respect to the home side AUB elected to kick themselves into a seventh minute lead courtesy of scrum half Karim Mourabet’s drop goal. AUB then defended solidly to thwart USJ’s first sustained attack. Both packs then tested themselves out, with AUB lock Joe Hitchon and aggressive second row Nimr Saliba battering USJ’s line while evasive stand-off Anthony Ghossein sniffed out chances in broken field. The abrasive nature of AUB’s assault was beginning to tell as USJ’s best front rower and captain, Marwan Karim, was forced out of the game with a cut nose. But redoubled defensive efforts from the excellent Rony Akel, the hooker who was USJ’s best player last season, and hard-working second rows Alain Neighem and Ramy Rassi, kept AUB at bay until the side’s creative midfield was able to act.

Missing its two first choice centres (both injured) and star fullback Wael Harb (suspended) not to mention coach Mikhael Shammas, who has been on secondment to the Cedars in an administrative role for the past three weeks, AUB’s inexperienced three-quarters twice gifted possession to USJ inside its own half. Strong forward drives were followed by quick, wide passing, with centre Hanna Hajjar finishing stylishly in the right corner on both occasions. Those two tries, on 21 and 37 minutes, sandwiching a 33^rd minute penalty, gave the Saints an unexpected 10-1 interval lead.