Rugby Cranes start grueling year with Elgon Cup
KAMPALA.
It’s all new territory for Uganda as the Rugby Cranes face their most taxing year that brings six games in a two-month period.
The first test is a routine one. Uganda host arch-foes Kenya in the first leg of the Elgon Cup at Legends Rugby Club today. p42
Thereafter, the real challenge will kick as Uganda faces four others in the Africa Gold Cup that kick-starts the qualification process for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
“We want to try out new things to increase the side’s dynamism. We need enough options if we are going to have a good season,” coach Robert Seguya reasoned.
Consequently, Uganda’s 23 for today’s game has as many as six debutants, a new halfback and centre pairing.
Kenya-based Ivan Kirabo, the only debutant to start the game, joins fly-half Ivan Magomu at the team’s heartbeat while Pius Ogena moves from flank to first centre.
There, Ogena joins vice-captain Michael Wokorach as Rugby Cranes seek to make up for losing 48-10 in last year’s home leg of the Elgon Cup.
Regardless of the alterations that could see Adnan Mutebi, Musa Muwonge, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Robert Aziku and Eric Mula come off the bench, Seguya and South Africa John Duncan insist the team is better equipped than last year.
“We were limping last year because of a narrow lot of players to choose from but it’s the opposite this time around, we have big numbers and we can afford to test players,” Duncan told Score.
That ‘limp’ had Kenya wallop Uganda 45-24 in the return encounter for a 93-34 aggregate score, the biggest in games between the two sides in over 20 years.
The captain Brian Odongo, who debuted in 2008, says the side is hungry despite the known preference for the Gold Cup over the annual Elgon contest.
“The side is extremely hungry, we are going into this contest to win and you can’t play in a rugby game hoping to lose or draw. Ultimately everyone’s focus and goal is to win,” Odongo said on Wednesday.
Kenya Simbas’, who host the return game in a fortnight, like Uganda, will field a relatively ‘weakened’ side but have England-based back row Joshua Chisanga to call on later.
One thing South African coach Jerome Paarwater perfected in those routs of Uganda last year was toying with the opposition for 50-60 minutes before running away with the contest.
