Lebanon and France have produced one of the wildest games in World Cup history with the Cedars scoring a game-winner in golden point in the most dramatic of fashion.
LIVE: The latest updates as Tonga and Samoa clash in blockbuster
France looked to have had the game won just minutes earlier but a matchwinning field goal was taken off the scoreboard when an escort was spotted by the video referee.
Lebanon half and Bulldogs young gun Alex Conti missed a penalty goal attempt from 48 metres out at the end of the first golden point which was fielded by France fullback Arthur Mourgue.
Mourgue could have ended the period and forced a second golden point by just conceding a tackle but he instead went for an audacious kick from deep in his own end, which was plucked out of the air by Lebanon back rower Abbas Miski, who then ran 15 metres to score and seal a 24-20 victory.
Mourgue put his name in lights when he forced golden point with a two-point field goal from 40 out right on the full time buzzer to level the scores at 20.
But he would go from hero to zero after his bizarre faux pas gifted Lebanon a famous World Cup win.
“I am gobsmacked. I cannot believe what we’ve just seen this last 10 to 15 minutes of play,” former Origin star Aaron Woods said on Channel 7.
“What we have witnessed these last 10 minutes, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this in rugby league.”
Lebanon captain Alex Twal, who was sin binned just before the end of regulation, revealed the rollercoaster of emotions he was dealing with.
“I actually don’t know what to feel. France came out here and wanted to win. Credit to our boys. We didn’t play a good brand of footy but we got the win and it’s a great end to our campaign,” Twal said.
“I’m so proud of the boys. I said it at the start of the tournament. We’ve got plumbers. We’ve got electricians. We’ve got builders. These blokes came here just to have a crack and they’re versing some of the best in the world.
“You look at Abbas there. He’s a bloke that has been chipping away in the Super League and he’s played wing. He’s never played back row in his whole life. For him to come up with a play like that, it’s just true Lebanese spirit.
“I’ve got goosebumps.”
Ugly scenes overshadow Kiwis’ win | 01:35
The golden point drama followed a dramatic conclusion to regular time which saw both teams have players sent to the bin in the final minutes as tempers flared.
Twal and Julian Bousquet were binned, with the Frenchman given his marching orders for a facial to the Lebanon skipper on the ground.
Twal took exception to it and went right back at Bousquet, which triggered an all-in melee and saw the referee send both players to the bin.
The Cedars were first onto the board early in the opening half with Bulldogs playmaker Alex Conti starring as he played it short to Miski, who then found the young half backing up in support.
But France hit back to keep it close at the break, with Lebanon taking a 8-6 lead.
Lebanon extended the lead in the second half as Michael Gabrael went over but the French refused to lie down as Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet reduced the deficit to two points again.
It may have been a dead rubber but clearly neither of the two nations had been told, with both fighting to the death as Tony Francis scored to give Lebanon ascendancy again before Cesar Rogue hit back to set up a grandstand finish.
The Mourgue two-point field goal then sent the game to extra time and while France looked to won it through a Rouge field goal, the twists kept coming and it was a stunning Miski try that sealed the win.
Leave a Reply