Balamand clawed themselves back into a play-off berth on Friday night after dispatching USJ 32-16. The home side trailed 8-6 at the break but in truth the margin could, and should, have been greater, were it not for a glut of handling errors – 10 in the first half and nine in the second – from a prodigal Saints outfit that was unable to handle the typically slippery mountain conditions.

If a slick ball was one problem for USJ, it paled into insignificance when compared to Wael Tawil’s kicking game. The danger signs were evident early on when the Balamand lock’s cross-field kick was allowed to bounce by USJ fullback Gilbert Khossob only for Razorbacks centre Mounib Ismael to knock on with the try-line gaping. Whether the warning had been heeded or not, USJ simply weren’t able to handle Tawil’s siege gun boot, which forced the visitors to relinquish their control of the game and then handed the Razorbacks the initiative in the second half.

After Ramy Rassy, USJ’s best on the day, had given his side an 18th minute lead, Tawil was instrumental in putting Balamand on the board. He repeated his earlier tactic, kicking across field with Ismael this time keeping his composure to touch down. In the second half the hard working Rassy pushed the Saints ahead 12-6, but his side’s inability to deal with Tawil’s kick off set up the position from which fullback Riad Khoury dove over. The northerners took the lead four minutes later when a long Tawil break was finished off two rucks later by Gilbert Haydamous, who attacked the line before stepping in under the black dot.

Trailing 16-12 USJ’s confidence began ebbing away, and when Haydamous repeated his dose after Patrick Liptani had fumbled Tawil’s howitzer bomb, USJ were done. That try was the first of three scored inside the final ten minutes as USJ capitulated. A short USJ kick off succeeded only in surprising their own players, with Khoury scoring easily against a wilting defence, while Firas El Mir, enjoying the extra freedom Haydamous’s recall has afforded him, finished things off with an 80-metre scamper from the scrum base.

Balamand and LAU both have the Orthodox Easter break with which to prepare for two colossal matches on consecutive Fridays that will decide the play-off picture.

Source : lebrl.com