Match Report

Rookie Karim Ibrahim and veteran Rudy Hachache both snared hat-tricks as LAU outclassed championship rivals Balamand on Palm Sunday in Bhamdoun. Scrum half Jad Hashem registered 16 points as LAU laid down a marker against one of the sides harbouring intentions of achieving what is fast looking like mission impossible: stopping LAU from taking out the title in May.

In a polished all round display LAU, without four rep players, used their full arsenal in attack to demolish a Razorbacks side that found it difficult adjusting to live without Abdul Bekdache, who returned to Australia in the week.

The Immortals, movement off the ball and combinations in attack , even
with front row Robin Hachache deputizing for Karim Jamal at stand off, were as polished as anything the Lebanese league has ever seen, while their defence, despite conceding two tries to powerful Balamand wing Omar Taleb, was as stingy as ever.

Taleb’s 37th minute try made it 22-4 at the break, while both sides ended with 12-men after Riad Khoury and Robin Hachache’s sin-binnings for dissent.

Sin bin: Riad Khoury (Balamand), Robin Hachache (LAU)