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2006 WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP: LAU 50-18 CL
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 28, 2006.
By dint of inflicting a record defeat on Club Libanais, LAU registered its best ever start to a winter season and will go into next week's bye rating its chances of becoming the first team to register a 100% record in nine seasons of Lebanese rugby league. The Immortals, with serious dynastic aspirations, are in the midst of one of their best form runs – and need two more wins to equal their best ever run. In the inaugural Winter Championship, in 2002, LAU won its final four matches of the season to sneak into the final; last year they recorded an unbeaten streak of six games, with four wins and two draws, en route to a first Winter crown. In Spring Championship history – traditionally LAU's strongest season, with three titles to its name – the West Beirut rugby league stronghold registered a four-wins-and-a-draw streak in 2005; and last year they reeled off six straight wins, setting a league record that they themselves are now threatening.
With Al Jazeera International in attendance filming a feature on Lebanese rugby league, LAU frolicked in front of the cameras, displaying absolute dominance over its lacklustre opponent, who finished the game with as much shape and direction as a train wreck. From the opening set the pattern of the match was imprinted on the lush Bhamdoun surface, with LAU completing its set purposefully, kicking downfield and snaring CL fullback Naji Ramy yards from his own goal line. From there the Immortals tightened the noose, forcing CL to clear its own lines and pounding away through its big pack when in possession. CL was unable to meet the mental challenge, squandering countless sets with ill-conceived off-loads and gifting LAU one attacking platform after another. An almost routine-like procession of try-scoring ensued, with gun forwards Ballout, Rudy and Robin Hachache, as well as form wing Mohamed Jamil, all touching down twice.
CL briefly threatened to make a contest of it when Youssef El Helou's try and Roy Abla's conversion made it 8-6 early on, but then characteristic profligacy handed back the initiative and Jamil raced in from his left flank to score. From that point on the Immortals built were in an insurmountable position, scoring another two tries to take a 24-6 halftime lead, and repeating the five-try dose in the second period to finish off the first half of its campaign in style.
It is fitting that LAU, in a reflection of its undoubted dominance, is the only side with a credit in the for-and-against column, with the remaining four sides, all with two games in hand, simply reeling in the after-burn of a green-and-white juggernaut.
*The weekend's other match, AUB v NDU, was postponed due to the political crisis currently afflicting the country.
2006 WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP: LAU 50-18 CL
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 28, 2006.
By dint of inflicting a record defeat on Club Libanais, LAU registered its best ever start to a winter season and will go into next week's bye rating its chances of becoming the first team to register a 100% record in nine seasons of Lebanese rugby league. The Immortals, with serious dynastic aspirations, are in the midst of one of their best form runs – and need two more wins to equal their best ever run. In the inaugural Winter Championship, in 2002, LAU won its final four matches of the season to sneak into the final; last year they recorded an unbeaten streak of six games, with four wins and two draws, en route to a first Winter crown. In Spring Championship history – traditionally LAU's strongest season, with three titles to its name – the West Beirut rugby league stronghold registered a four-wins-and-a-draw streak in 2005; and last year they reeled off six straight wins, setting a league record that they themselves are now threatening.
With Al Jazeera International in attendance filming a feature on Lebanese rugby league, LAU frolicked in front of the cameras, displaying absolute dominance over its lacklustre opponent, who finished the game with as much shape and direction as a train wreck. From the opening set the pattern of the match was imprinted on the lush Bhamdoun surface, with LAU completing its set purposefully, kicking downfield and snaring CL fullback Naji Ramy yards from his own goal line. From there the Immortals tightened the noose, forcing CL to clear its own lines and pounding away through its big pack when in possession. CL was unable to meet the mental challenge, squandering countless sets with ill-conceived off-loads and gifting LAU one attacking platform after another. An almost routine-like procession of try-scoring ensued, with gun forwards Ballout, Rudy and Robin Hachache, as well as form wing Mohamed Jamil, all touching down twice.
CL briefly threatened to make a contest of it when Youssef El Helou's try and Roy Abla's conversion made it 8-6 early on, but then characteristic profligacy handed back the initiative and Jamil raced in from his left flank to score. From that point on the Immortals built were in an insurmountable position, scoring another two tries to take a 24-6 halftime lead, and repeating the five-try dose in the second period to finish off the first half of its campaign in style.
It is fitting that LAU, in a reflection of its undoubted dominance, is the only side with a credit in the for-and-against column, with the remaining four sides, all with two games in hand, simply reeling in the after-burn of a green-and-white juggernaut.
*The weekend's other match, AUB v NDU, was postponed due to the political crisis currently afflicting the country.

