The 2007/8 Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship has come full circle, with Saturday’s final pitting the same sides that opened the season in November against one another. On that day LAU and Jounieh battled out a tough 18-18 draw, but the table topping Immortals then inflicted two defeats on Al-Galacticos, who had to wait until their last encounter before exacting some revenge.

That match, in March, ended in a convincing 34-18 win that kick-started LAU’s worrisome three-match losing streak, threatening their semi-finals chances. The two LAU wins were much tighter affairs, a 20-18 decision in December and a 34-30 steal in February, in which LAU overhauled a 30-16 deficit. The manner of that comeback will have concentrated Jounieh minds this week, with a lot of defensive attention almost certainly focused on scrum half Karim Jamal. He almost personally dragged LAU back into contention, scoring three tries and kicking five goals.

His halfback combination with Jad Hashem hardly set the world alight in the two final showdowns against Balamand, although LAU’s much-improved team play was a feature in both victories, while the Immortals at-times porous defence had rediscovered some sting having conceded over 30-points in each of the preceding three games. LAU will be led up front by go-forward kings Robin Hachache and George Rehayem, with veteran Nayef Abisaid and a coterie of rookie forwards sharing the second-wave workload. For first year LAU coach Remond Safi, with a 1-4 record in grand finals, it has been a long time between drinks, with the former AUB clipboard-holder not having tasted victory since December 2003.

If Safi is going to quench his thirst LAU’s pack needs to front up against Jounieh’s battle-hardened six. With a quartet of Liban Espoir forwards at its core, on paper Al-Galacticos’ pack has the edge, and in hooker Fadi Azzam they have arguably the comp’s form player. Azzam scored a try and kicked two goals last week and until he emigrated to the UAE in March was the league’s top scorer. Player-coach Jean Paul Zakhour will be greatly concerned with his side’s incumbent inability to convert territorial possession into points, though. In the second half alone against AUB the Wolves had 11 rucks in Jounieh’s half compared to 42 for the black-and-golds at the other end. Halves Danny Chemaly and Mohamed Mourtada were largely guilty for eschewing the countless opportunities out wide, although they were let down by a hesitant, diffident back line. Centres Ghassan Dandash and Zakhour are both defensive specialists and although fullback Pierre Nasr worked overtime Jounieh’s wide play was hardly threatening.

Like last week, though, this one is just too close to call.