A last minute try from Jounieh’s front row forward Elie Khoury ensured a share of the points in the opening match of the Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship, Saturday lunchtime. Having seen two leads gobbled up by an LAU side that improved as the match wore on, and having been put in an attacking position courtesy of back-to-back penalties, Jounieh snatched a result as halfbacks Danny Chemaly and Wissam Chami combined to outflank LAU’s defence, one short due to wing Allen Khoury’s dismissal and massed around the ball on the goal-line, to put Khoury in at the corner. Continuing a woeful day for goal-kickers, Chami’s attempted conversion fell short.

Jounieh had opened the stronger, allowing LAU only three real attacking forays in the first half – two of which ended in tries. Prompted by Chemaly, the Al-Galacticos forwards quickly got the better of an LAU pack missing its two full internationals, the Hachache brothers, Robin (on world cup duty) and Rudi (injured). Second row Ahmad El-Masri led the way, with Khoury and Cedar tourist Youssef El Helou contributing as the men in black kept LAU pinned in their own half. Strong defence prevented LAU breaking out, but a lack of any fluent handling prevented early pressure resulting in points, and it was up to a typical slashing run from star fullback Pierre Nasr to open the scoring on 11 minutes. Ten minutes later Al-Masri repeated the dose, taking a ball from Chemaly to score in almost exactly the same spot.

LAU then mounted a comeback as Mohamed Jamil, successfully moved to scrum half from fullback by new coach Remond Safi, slipped a well-timed ball to hat-trick hero Ibrahim Ballout, who seared through the tightest of gaps to halve the lead. LAU then struck again in controversial fashion. After the hooter had sounded referee Mohamed Habbous allowed LAU to play the ball. Thinking quickly, Jamil put in a perfectly weighted kick that was snapped up brilliantly by Khoury who managed to ground the ball despite desperate Jounieh cover.

LAU enjoyed the greater possession and territory in the second period thanks to numerous repeat sets conceded by Jounieh. Ballout and Jamil continuously asked questions of the Jounieh defence, with the Belgium-bound back row, so impressive against Serbia for Liban Espoir in the summer, cutting through the line to score from close range on 44 minutes after Nasr had fumbled a routine kick in his own in-goal. Five minutes later Al-Galacticos hit back with the best score of the match. Ball playing second row Nabil Dora fed his lock, El Helou, who drew in two defenders before delivering a perfect flat ball to Khodr Salameh, with the prodigiously-legged centre galloping in under the sticks from 30-metres out. The first successful kick of the day made it 14-12 to Jounieh.

The defending champions were then forced to withstand terrific pressure, relieved slightly when the hot-headed Khoury, who had only been on the field for one minute following an earlier sin-binning, was sent off for punching his opposite wing, Mario Eid. But the pressure was back on as the classy Ballout forced proceedings to bend to his predominant will once more. After stripping the uncharacteristically lethargic Nasr to put LAU in a prime attacking position, he ploughed in to score from short range with 12 minutes remaining, for what would have been the winning score had it not been for Khoury’s last second intervention