2017 Rugby League World Cup qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)

2017 RLWC qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)
South Africa Lebanon
South Africa Lebanon
0 2
90-28 on aggregate, Lebanon wins series 2–0
First test
South Africa Lebanon
12 40
Date 25 October 2015
Venue Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee Phil Bentham (England)
Second test
Lebanon South Africa
50 16
Date 31 October 2015
Venue Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee Phil Bentham (England)

The 2017 Rugby League World Cup Middle East-Africa qualification play-off was a two-match rugby league series, with the winner qualifying for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. The matches were between South Africa and Lebanon and were played at Brakpan Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa on 25 and 31 October 2015.

Overview

On 3 October 2014, the 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifying competition was announced with one qualification spot being granted to the Middle East-Africa region.[1]

Initially a one-off play off match in the Dubai Sports City complex was announced.[2] However the match was cancelled after the head of the Emirates rugby league, Sol Mokdad, was arrested following a complaint from UAE rugby union officials.

South Africa was subsequently given the hosting rights for the qualification fixtures. South Africa RL president Kobus Botha stated that the “SARL is extremely excited about hosting this highly prestigious World Cup Qualifier... We hope that this is the first of many such tournaments and a small glimpse into what South Africa can offer as a potential host country for the 2021 World Cup.”[3]

Squads

Both teams picked preliminary train-on squads with the South Africans picked what they believed was “a strong, healthy and balanced train-on squad” which contained domestic players as well as eligible South African players based in Australia's reserve grade competitions.[4] The Lebanese selected eligible NRL players along with other reserve grade, domestic and unattached players.[5]

South Africa

The South Africa squad as of 13 October 2015 was as follows:[6]

  • Coach: Australia Brian Greige
Club TeamPlayers
South Africa Barberton Bulldogs Jaice Terblanche
Australia Burleigh Bears Shane Gillham
South Africa Cape Town Hyenas Shuab Samaai
Australia Emerald Tigers Jason King
South Africa Harlequins Rugby League Club Deon Kraemer, Jean Coetzer, Jean-Pierre Nel
South Africa Northern Bulls Marcell Viljoen, Rudolph Prinsloo, Theo Rhodes
South Africa UP-Tuks RLC Christo Louw, Dwayne Botma, Johan Joubert, Nardus Raubenheimer, Ruaan Du Preez, Rupert Wells
Australia Wentworthville Magpies Louis Musson
Australia West Coast Pirates Bradley Williams, Halvor Harris
Australia Wynnum Manly Seagulls Gideon Mzembe

Lebanon

The Lebanon squad as of 17 October 2015 was as follows:[7][8]

Club TeamPlayers
Lebanon AUB Toufic El Hajj
Australia Asquith Magpies Mark Daoud
Australia Auburn Warriors Jamie Clark, Richard Coorey, Ead Kassem, Elias Sukkar
Australia Guildford Owls Chris Saab
Australia Hills James Boustani
Lebanon Immortals RLFC Ray Finan, Robin Hachache
Australia Melbourne Storm Travis Robinson
Australia Newcastle Knights James Elias
Australia Newtown Jets Daniel Abou Sleiman, Ahmad Ellaz, Tarek El Masri, Ray Moujalli
Australia Wentworthville Magpies Nick Kassis, Mitchell Mamary
Lebanon Wolves RLFC Wael Harb
UnattachedAdham El Zbaidieh

First test

25 October 2015
South Africa  12 – 40  Lebanon
Try: Joubert 12'
King 56'
Raubenheimer 73'
Goal: Williams (0/2)
Coetzer (0/1)		 Report Try: Robinson (3) 3' c, 33', 78' c
Saab 17' c
Abou-Sleiman 21' c
Mamary 59' c
El Masri 63' c
Goal: Boustani (6/7) 4', 18', 22', 60', 64', 79'
Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Referee: England Phil Bentham
Man of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB1 Jason King
RW2 Gideon Mzembe
RC3 Johan Joubert
LC4 Jean Coetzer
LW5 Shuab Samaai
SO6 Theo Rhodes
SH7 Bradley Williams
PR8 Jaice Terblanche
HK9 Marcell Viljoen
PR10 Louis Musson
SR11 Dwayne Botma
SR12 Halvor Harris
LF13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC14 Nardus Raubenheimer
IC15 Rupert Wells
IC16 Rudolph Prinsloo
IC17 Jean-Pierre Nel
Coach:
Australia Brian Greige
FB1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW2Adham El Zbaidieh
RC3 Tarek El Masri
LC4 Chris Saab
LW5 Travis Robinson
FE6 Mark Daoud
HB7 James Boustani
PR8 Mitchell Mamary
HK9 Ali Allouche
PR10 Ray Moujalli
SR11 Elias Sukkar
SR12 Nick Kassis
LK13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC14 Richard Coorey
IC15 James Elias
IC16 Wael Harb
IC17 Robin Hachache
Coach:
Australia Darren Maroon

Notes:

  • Ali Allouche was a late replacement for suspended hooker Jamie Clark.[9]

Second test

31 October 2015
South Africa  16 – 50  Lebanon
Try: Mzembe 36'
Wells 54'
Viljoen 76'
Goal: Williams (2/3)		 Report Try: Abou Sleiman 2'
Robinson (3) 11', 19', 44'
Daoud 26'
Sukkar 32'
El Masri 60'
Boustani 63'
Kassis 74'
Goal: Boustani (7/10)
Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Referee: England Phil Bentham
Man of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB1 Jason King
RW2 Gideon Mzembe
RC3 Johan Joubert
LC4 Jean Coetzer
LW5 Rupert Wells
SO6 Theo Rhodes
SH7 Bradley Williams
PR8 Jaice Terblanche
HK9 Marcell Viljoen
PR10 Rudolph Prinsloo
SR11 Dwayne Botma
SR12 Halvor Harris
LF13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC14 Shuab Samaai
IC15 Louis Musson
IC16 Deon Kraemer
IC17 Christo Louw
Coach:
Australia Brian Greige
FB1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW2Adham El Zbaidieh
RC3 Tarek El Masri
LC4 Chris Saab
LW5 Travis Robinson
FE6 Mark Daoud
HB7 James Boustani
PR8 Mitchell Mamary
HK9 Ali Allouche
IC10 Richard Coorey
SR11 Elias Sukkar
SR12 Nick Kassis
LK13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC14 James Elias
IC15 Wael Harb
IC16 Robin Hachache
IC17 Ead Kassem
Coach:
Australia Darren Maroon

Notes:

  • With the win, Lebanon qualified for the 2017 World Cup after a 2–0 series victory.

References

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