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

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

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]

Club Team Players
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 Team Players
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
Unattached Adham El Zbaidieh

Match 1

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/s: England Phil Bentham
Man of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB 1 Jason King
RW 2 Gideon Mzembe
RC 3 Johan Joubert
LC 4 Jean Coetzer
LW 5 Shuab Samaai
SO 6 Theo Rhodes
SH 7 Bradley Williams
PR 8 Jaice Terblanche
HK 9 Marcell Viljoen
PR 10 Louis Musson
SR 11 Dwayne Botma
SR 12 Halvor Harris
LF 13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC 14 Nardus Raubenheimer
IC 15 Rupert Wells
IC 16 Rudolph Prinsloo
IC 17 Jean-Pierre Nel
Coach:
Australia Brian Greige
FB 1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW 2Adham El Zbaidieh
RC 3 Tarek El Masri
LC 4 Chris Saab
LW 5 Travis Robinson
FE 6 Mark Daoud
HB 7 James Boustani
PR 8 Mitchell Mamary
HK 9 Ali Allouche
PR 10 Ray Moujalli
SR 11 Elias Sukkar
SR 12 Nick Kassis
LK 13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC 14 Richard Coorey
IC 15 James Elias
IC 16 Wael Harb
IC 17 Robin Hachache
Coach:
Australia Darren Maroon

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

Match 2

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/s: England Phil Bentham
Man of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB 1 Jason King
RW 2 Gideon Mzembe
RC 3 Johan Joubert
LC 4 Jean Coetzer
LW 5 Rupert Wells
SO 6 Theo Rhodes
SH 7 Bradley Williams
PR 8 Jaice Terblanche
HK 9 Marcell Viljoen
PR 10 Rudolph Prinsloo
SR 11 Dwayne Botma
SR 12 Halvor Harris
LF 13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC 14 Shuab Samaai
IC 15 Louis Musson
IC 16 Deon Kraemer
IC 17 Christo Louw
Coach:
Australia Brian Greige
FB 1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW 2Adham El Zbaidieh
RC 3 Tarek El Masri
LC 4 Chris Saab
LW 5 Travis Robinson
FE 6 Mark Daoud
HB 7 James Boustani
PR 8 Mitchell Mamary
HK 9 Ali Allouche
IC 10 Richard Coorey
SR 11 Elias Sukkar
SR 12 Nick Kassis
LK 13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC 14 James Elias
IC 15 Wael Harb
IC 16 Robin Hachache
IC 17 Ead Kassem
Coach:
Australia Darren Maroon

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

References

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