World Cup Qualifiers 2011

Game 2

Lebanon 96 def. Serbia 4

World Cup Qualifiers 2011
Game 2

Lebanon
96
4
Serbia
Match Info
Match URL www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/23909
Status Completed
Date Sunday, 16th October, 2011
Venue Int'l Stadium (Tripoli)
Match Stats
Halftime Score 46 0
Lebanon Scoresheet Serbia
Danny BARAKAT 3 T Adam NEDIĆ
Jamie CLARK 3      
Adnan SALEH 3      
James BOUSTANI 2      
Clifton NYE 2      
Khalid DEEB      
Adham EL ZBAIDIEH      
Eddy EL ZBAIDIEH      
Nick KASSIS      
 
Nadim COURI 13/15 G 0/1 Austen NOVAKOVIĆ
Ibrahim BALLOUT 1/1      
Robin HACHACHE 0/1      
Lebanon Teams Serbia
Adnan SALEH 1 FB 1 Ivan ŠUŠNJARA
Eddy EL ZBAIDIEH 2 W 2 Vladan KIKANOVIĆ
Danny BARAKAT 3 C 3 Miloš ĆALIĆ
Adham EL ZBAIDIEH 4 C 4 Aleksandar ALEKSIĆ
Clifton NYE 5 W 5 Nebojša ŽIVANOVIĆ
 
James BOUSTANI 6 FE 6 Adam NEDIĆ
Nadim COURI 7 HB 7 Dalibor VUKANOVIĆ (c)
 
Khalid DEEB (c) 8 FR 8 Ilija RADAN
Jamie CLARK 9 HK 9 Nikša UNKOVIĆ
Allen SOULTAN 10 FR 10 Lazar ŽIVKOVIĆ
Ahmad ELLAZ 11 2R 11 Stefan NEDELJKOVIĆ
Steve AZZI 12 2R 12 Soni RADOVANOVIĆ
Ray MOUJALLI 13 L 13 Austen NOVAKOVIĆ
 
Ali KOUROUCHE 14 B 14 Dejan LUKENIĆ
Nick KASSIS 15 B 15 Danilo DELIĆ
Ibrahim BALLOUT 16 B 16 Zoran PEŠIĆ
Robin HACHACHE 17 B 17 Milan ŠUŠNJARA
 
David BAYSSARI   HC   Marko JANKOVIĆ
   
 

Team Info

Lebanon

Previous Game:
[no comp] - vs. Morocco
Next Game:
World Cup Qualifiers 2011 - Game 3 vs. Russia
In:
Adnan Saleh (fullback), Eddy El Zbaidieh (wing), Danny Barakat (centre), Adham El Zbaidieh (centre), Clifton Nye (wing), James Boustani (five-eighth), Nadim Couri (halfback), Khalid Deeb (front row), Jamie Clark (hooker), Allen Soultan (front row), Ahmad Ellaz (second row), Steve Azzi (second row), Ray Moujalli (lock), Ali Kourouche (bench), Nick Kassis (bench), Ibrahim Ballout (bench), Robin Hachache (bench)

Serbia

Previous Game:
Milan Kosanovic Cup 2011 - Game 2 vs. Ukraine
Next Game:
World Cup Qualifiers 2011 - Game 4 vs. Italy
Out:
Radovan Taišić (wing), Stevan Stevanović (centre), Mirko Božović (wing), Vuk Tvrdišić (front row), Stefan Nikolić (lock), Nenad Radević (bench), Slaviša Zekić (bench)
In:
Vladan Kikanović (wing), Aleksandar Aleksić (centre), Dalibor Vukanović (halfback), Ilija Radan (front row), Lazar Živković (front row), Soni Radovanović (second row), Austen Novaković (lock)
Changes:
Nikša Unković (centre to hooker), Milan Šušnjara (halfback to bench), Dejan Lukenić (front row to bench), Zoran Pešić (hooker to bench), Miloš Ćalić (second row to centre), Nebojša Živanović (bench to wing)

Match Report

Lebanon kicked off their 2013 Rugby League World Cup European Zone Qualifiers with a rousing 96-4 win against Serbia at the Tripoli Olympic Stadium. The Cedars ran in 17 tries, Danny Barakat setting the ball rolling in the third minute with the first of his hat trick, full back Adnan Saleh and Jamie Clark also claiming hat tricks.

Satisfied Lebanon coach David Bayssari, was not carried away by the final score. “It was one of those games,” he said. “The Serbs tried their all and never let up. Our boys played pretty well and our goal is now the Russian game next week and aiming for another win.”

It was a carnival atmosphere from the vocal home crowd as the players ran out, and were then introduced to the Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sport Faysal Karami, but the visitors were up against it from the outset, the opening try coming from a planned grubber kick on only their second set of six.

Adnan El Zabedieh went over in the eighth minute with hooker Clark claiming his first soon after as the big home pack got on a roll. The Serbians, who lacked nothing in passion, prevented any further breaches in their line for ten minutes but three further touchdowns in quick succession from Saleh, Adham El Zabedieh and winger Clifton Nye effectively put the game out of reach. Nick Kassis and Saleh again extended the lead to 46-0 at the break, Nadim Couri finishing with 13 conversions from 15 attempts.

James Boustani brought up the half century three minutes in to the second period, Barakat crossing on the next play, Nye then claiming his second. Boustani and Clark added further touchdowns before the hour mark and the superior fitness of the hosts saw them finish strongly, Saleh, skipper Khaled Deeb, Barakat and Clark completing the rout.

Stand off Adam Nedić gained the Serbians sole consolation effort as they ran out of fit bodies and, when the siren went, the jovial crowd rushed onto the field to join in celebration with their new found heroes.

A realistic Lee Crooks, the Serbian coach was satisfied his players gave their all. “It’s a game that nobody really expected us to win and the gulf in experience was there for all to see,” he commented. “Their awareness of the game and understanding, strength and power far outweighed ours. I was really pleased with the effort of our players. I think we stuck to our structure well, which will help us going forward. We completed a lot more sets in the second half which enabled us to put them under more pressure and we’ll look to develop the team against Italy and hope for a positive result against Russia.”

Source: LebRL.com

This match is a part of the following:

Contributions: Bill Bates, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson