Al-Galacticos of Jounieh RLFC successfully defended their crown on Saturday, defeating LAU 30-21 in an exciting Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship final. Although they won last season this was Al-Galacticos’ first final due to the crisis-enforced stoppage last May which saw them crowned champions by LRLC decree. In a see-sawing match, in which the lead changed hands four times, two breakaway tries from centre Ghassan Dandash and second row Ahmad El Masri proved the key moments.

Dandash’s 57th minute score was the most crucial. It not only stopped the rot for Jounieh, who had seen the Immortals register the last four scores to seize and then extend their lead, it deflated LAU, who had worked so hard and so well to patiently build up a 17-10 lead, all the while chipping away at Jounieh’s confidence. Then, with six minutes left, El Masri’s score gave the black-and-golds an insurmountable 30-21 lead.

Jounieh, hardened by their epic semi-final with AUB, got out of the blocks quickest, taking the lead inside three minutes with Dandash powering over off Pierre Nasr’s ball - although they benefited from the officials’ failure to see a clear Nabil Dora knock on in the build up. LAU struck back on 11 minutes through dangerman Karim Jamal, who re-gathered his chip on the last to make it 6-6. Jounieh then hit back through another well worked backline move as Pierre Nasr waltzed past four attempted tacklers – a sign of things to come for LAU – to give Jounieh a four-point lead.

Halves Danny Chemaly and Mohamed Mourtada had combined well to engineer two tries, but tactically their influence over the game began to ebb, with Mourtada in particular becoming a peripheral figure, just as that of LAU’s halfbacks’ grew. On 26 minutes LAU took the lead as their grip over a hesitant Jounieh side burgeoned. Pressuring Jounieh’s line LAU span the ball wide, with centre George Rahal managing to put fullback Allen Khoury in for a fine try at the corner. LAU edged to 14-10 on the halftime hooter, with Jamal kicking a penalty from halfway as Jounieh were reduced to 12-men following Rabieh El Masri’s sin-binning for pushing Hanny Rifai in the face.

The Immortals, five times champions, then continued to dominate for much of the third quarter. Jamal kicked his fourth goal after more pressure on Jounieh’s line had forced another penalty, then scrum half Jad Hachem slotted a 30-metre field goal to give his side a two-score advantage. Visibly deflated, Jounieh, who had had a try disallowed by a premature intervention from the referee, needed a lift - which the combative Dandash duly provided. Scooting from inside his own half he galloped towards the right touchline, beating fully five LAU tackles before eventually scoring under the posts. Seven minutes later Jounieh took back the lead, 18-17, through Fadi Azzam’s third goal as Jounieh pounded the Immortals’ line.

Jamal’s kicking game then gave LAU the chance to edge in front once more, with Dandash dropping a towering bomb, handing the Immortals the position from where wing Bahije Saidar finished off another slick attack out wide. Controversy ensued, with Jamal’s conversion finally being dismissed, giving LAU a 21-18 lead. It was now time for LAU’s defence to waver.

With 10-minutes remaining lock Youssef El Helou – Jounieh’s best defender all day – charged over from a penalty tap, with Mourtada’s kick being waved good, much to the dismay of LAU’s disgruntled players. Then El Masri was somehow allowed to puncture LAU’s line direct from a penalty, streaking away to score the final try and clinch the championship.

Source :  lebrl.com