Match Report

The inimitable LAU Immortals completed their second successive perfect regular season in celebratory fashion on Saturday, with a comfortable, entertaining victory against the Wolves in Bhamdoun. The bright spring sunshine enlivened a spirited, nip-and-tuck contest in which the Wolves finished their successful debut season on a high by registering the highest points total against most pundits’ champions-in-waiting this season. They eclipsed Jounieh’s earlier mark of four tries against LAU, with Nemer Saliba’s hat-trick a feature of the Wolves’ five tries, but in truth LAU were never in danger of losing, despite leading by 28-22 deep into the second period.

Resting Karim Jamal and Mohamed Jamil, LAU still had plenty of firepower on the pitch. Robin Hachache was able to go through the gears whenever LAU needed to surge ahead, registering four tries in a cameo hooking role following Yves Khoury’s injury-enforced absence. By the 23rd minute LAU were up 14-0 but a strong ten minute Wolves spell cut the gap to just four-points, triggering a characteristic bout of LAU in-fighting behind the sticks. Hachache scored on 38 minutes to make it 18-10 at the break, their skinniest halftime advantage of their stellar year.

Two more tries within eight minutes of the restart extended LAU’s lead to 28-10 before a quick-fire brace of converted Wolves tries, on 57 and 61 minutes, made it interesting once more. Hachache’s fourth, on 68 minutes, made it a two-score game once more, and Allen Khoury’s evasive kick return three minutes later put the result beyond doubt, although the Wolves, fittingly after such a cavalier display, had the last word, collecting a short kick off for Saliba to cap a fine personal display with his 15th try of the campaign.

LAU, having wrapped up a sixth first-place finish after the regular rounds in 13 championships seasons, now has a week off before the 8th May final. They can reflect on arguably the most impressive regular season campaigns in Lebanese rugby league’s history. They smashed AUB’s single-season points record by over 100 – despite playing four games less - while setting a team defensive record in Lebanese rugby league’s post-four-team era. Their average 6.16 points conceded per-game is second only to Balamand’s Winter 2005 squad’s 4.75 points-conceded-per-game – and was at a record setting mark of 4.18 points-per-game entering the festival-like Wolves match. This powerful, skilful Immortals team certainly bears comparison to some of Lebanese rugby league’s strongest squads, but one critical step is yet to be taken, a step that ultimately proved too far for the also-perfect Immortals twelve-months ago. Unless LAU can win the title in two weeks, something that has eluded this green-and-white dynasty for fully four years, their apparent perfection will seem more and more like an imperfection, a blemish, a curse.

Sin bin: Jad Hachem (LAU)