Elgon Cup defeat leaves Rugby Cranes in phase of reckoning

Like the effects of a heavy downpour normally are, the one on the afternoon of Saturday, November 16, fittingly coincided with dampening the mood at the King’s Park arena in Bweyogerere, when the Kenya Simbas defeated the rugby Cranes 5-21.

With this, did Kenya add to its dominance of the Elgon Cup, adding a fourteenth title against Uganda’s three. However, considering that a week earlier, in Nairobi, Uganda had done relatively well, losing the first leg 25-27, the outcome from the return leg was hardly fathomed.

Expectedly, there have been recriminations regarding the implosion of the 15s side when it matters most, as answers continue being sought. Needless to say, the rugby Cranes’ performances over the last five years continue to follow a similar pattern. For example, during the 2019 Elgon Cup, Uganda won the first leg away in Kisumu, before losing the return leg at Kyadondo. The Cup went as well.

Last year, after winning the first leg in Bweyogerere 21-20, they could not hold their own in the return leg, which they lost 20-13. Uganda’s last Elgon Cup triumph was in 2015. In addition, when Uganda met Kenya in 2022 during the Africa Rugby Cup, that was played in Marseille, France, they lost 5-47.

And this year, during the same tournament, amidst a lot of expectations, Uganda lost to Zimbabwe in the quarterfinals 22-20. But by half time, at Namboole, the scoreboard read 22-0 in favour of Zimbabwe. Similarly, last weekend, Uganda were 21-0 down at halftime.

Allan Musoke, a former rugby Cranes international said that it is problematic that the team starts slowly.

“And each time they wake up, we have already been punished. Kenya simply did that in the first 15 minutes, which is indicative of our lack of concentration.”

Musoke added that the fact that a penalty and the possibility to at least two tries before halftime were fluffed, does not bode well. Potentially, that was 17 points with conversions considered. With a halftime score reading 17-21, Uganda would have had a good platform to build on for the second half, as opposed to having nothing on board.

Add the fact that some of the decisions made by the players, for example a chipped ball by fly-half Aaron Ofoyrwoth out of Uganda’s five metre area, which ball was easily picked up by the Kenyans, before their third try raised eye-brows on what the game plan duly was.

Whatever Uganda did simply aided the Kenyans, and they could not have been more thankful. It was quite evident that the size of the Kenyans worked to great effect in subduing Uganda.

Timothy Bulooti of Rhinos Rugby Club said: “With a heavier pack, Kenya were always going to pound us all day. They knew we were always going to try and play the expansive running game, which they made sure, they stopped.”

Against that, Bulooti added, there is need for us to have alternative game plans. He went on to say that the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) should scout big players to bulk up the team. Otherwise, without size, the future looks bleak, now that even the likes of Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Algeria, two nations that recently joined the international fray are matching Uganda.

Notably, Musoke believes that URU must contract the 15s players so that they are fully professional if the team is to become competitive. For as long as these players remain part-timers, and have only two to three weeks training, the present results are what Uganda deserves.

Furthermore, it is argued, that the 7s national teams have improved since they were contracted, which allows them ample time on the training ground. On top of that, one coach, who preferred anonymity said that top nations have a coaching staff of 12. The same ought to be done in Uganda, too, in order to have a bigger technical base that supports Fred Mudoola and his assistant Leonard Lubambula.

jovi@observer.ug