Match Report

The LAU Immortals finally got rid of the monkey that had been riding on their backs for four years, defeating AUB on Saturday evening to complete their perfect season, unequivocally the greatest campaign in Lebanese rugby league history, and claim their record-extending sixth championship. The Hamra-based outfit, whose dynastic claims over Lebanon’s rugby league have been entrenched, can now finally add the coveted Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship to their three Spring and two Winter Championship crowns, having been defeated in the first two Bank of Beirut Championship grand finals in 2008 and 2009. Defeated AUB has two titles, as does Jounieh and Balamand, now defunct Club Libanais one.

Two successive 12-0 regular season records belied the difference in playing quality and sheer style between last year’s and this year’s editions. No team has played football in Lebanon like this record-setting Immortals squad, where no team has seriously looked like beating them, and it is a credit to AUB that they became the first team this season to lead the green-and-whites at the break, as they did 11-10, a remarkable scoreline. LAU’s line-up boasted eight Lebanon or Liban Espoir players and another three that have been added to the 2010 rep train-on squad. AUB, in stark contrast, had one former Espoir player and another two who have been added to this year’s rep ranks. The Corniche-siders’ triumph in reaching the final with a squad of mostly first or second year players was one of the collective whole overcoming the sum of its parts.

The classic game of two halves saw LAU ultimately slip into gear after an edgy first forty. With a noisy, partisan crowd of 450 in attendance the game began at a frantic pace. LAU knocked on twice over the line, AUB once as both defences stood tall, and it took a rare mistake from LAU’s irascible fullback Allen Khoury, dropping a bomb, before Nader Dergham opened the scoring on 15 minutes. LAU hit back three minutes later when AUB’s goal-line defence bit on Yves Khoury’s dummy from acting half, with Ahmed Fadlallah scoring the simplest of tries to make it 6-4 to the reds. Peter Rahal slotted over a 24th minute field goal as AUB continued along its controlled, measured way. Mohamed Tawil then scored his first try on 31 minutes after a promising LAU counter-attack had petered out, allowing AUB to transfer from defence to attack with great aplomb. Down 11-4 LAU, crucially, refused to panic, and a masterfully crafted attacking set ended with classy centre Mohamed Jamil hitting a hole to score on 36 minutes.

In the second half, LAU’s bigger pack began to get a roll on while the exciting football for which the team has become known began to shine through. Two more Jamil tries, on 47 and 54 minutes, put LAU 20-11 up, but AUB were by no means down and out. They went agonizingly close to snatching back the initiative when Dergham looked likely to score only for the LAU defence to drag him over the dead-ball line as he touched down. When rookie centre Mazen Kneo scored on 26 minutes it was game over and LAU could begin their celebrations. They did so in the best possible way, by adding three more well engineered tries as an atrophied AUB did all they could to combat the onslaught.

The victory, watched by Bank of Beirut’s head of personal banking Darine Mansour, saw Jamil claim the Darren Maroon Award as the game’s star player, and was coach Remond Safi’s second win in a final. His first came with AUB in Winter 2003 while he has lost six others.

In the midst of their triumph LAU were quick to remember their inspiration, dedicating their perfect season to the memory of former player Salim Frem, who tragically died on 30th December 2009 of pneumonia.