BEIRUT: A combined team of Jamhour and Gray Wolves players went down to a “Beirut Total” team in a friendly at Lebanese University campus in Hadath Sunday ending 36-32.The lead in the game changed hands four times during a brutal but exciting match. The combined team took the lead within the first 15 minutes with two quick converted tries making the score 14-0, before the veteran heavy Beirut team woke up and came back with two unconverted tries. Both teams had a heavy pack resulting in a slew of cheap penalties conceded. A converted penalty by the combined team made the score 17-10 at halftime .
The second half started with Beirut Total playing some classically simple rugby resulting in two converted tries making the score 22-17 to Beirut Total. With three minutes to go before the final whistle the score was back in the favor of the combined team at 32-31.
However, the Beirut team’s determination and experience paid off, when they won the ball in a scrum five meters from their opposition try line, with the ball going out to team captain Karim Jammal, who made a long pass to Ibrahim ballout out on the wing to go over for an unconverted try making the final score 36-32.
The match was refereed by veteran player Serge Sabagha and watched by coach Steve Wigglesworth, who has just finished training the academy squad.