Al Galacticos of Jounieh leapt from fourth to second spot in the Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship, closing to within four points of pace setters LAU and sitting just above Balamand and AUB, who have played a game more than the league’s other four sides. Big Nicolas Chammas led from the front on Saturday lunchtime against USJ Saints, backing up from his man of the match display against AUB with his first hat-trick, two of which came in as many minutes early in the second period to break the game wide open after a gripping first half. Chammas, in the form of his life, easily broke through USJ’s middle in the 43^rd and 45^th minutes, with Fady Azzam, who was perfect with the boot all day, converting both to extend Jounieh’s 10-4 halftime to 22-10 and end the game as a contest. But a contest it most certainly had been up until that point, with USJ dominating most of the first half.

The match was almost a carbon copy of the two sides’ first meeting in December, when USJ had kept Jounieh scoreless for the opening 31 minutes, except this time it was USJ that struck first, turning heavy pressure into a 28^th minute try by debutant Frenchman Augustin DeChou. But once more USJ found a way to trip over themselves. The second of their French trio, prop Pierre Francois, fumbled the kick off and on the last tackle Jounieh player-coach Jean Paul Zakhour squeezed in at the corner to tie it up at four-apiece. Four minutes later Azzam scooted from acting halfback to register the first of four soft Al Galacticos tries.

The black and golds set out their stall in the second period with a formidable defensive set which seemed to rattle USJ, with Chammas the try-scoring beneficiary. USJ centre Zahi El Murr stepped through the middle to score on 53 minutes to make it 22-8, but 10 minutes later impressive lock Youssef El Helou smashed over from close range to restore his side’s 18-point buffer. Chammas completed his hat-trick with a well worked try, taking an inside ball from Pierre Nasr again through USJ’s crumbling interior, while USJ fullback Christian Nadir had the last word in the 76^th minute.