Heathens strike at death to break Pirates

Kampala.

Hima Cement Heathens have now won four successive Nile Special Uganda Cup titles.

Their latest, an enthralling 20-17 victory over Black Pirates on Saturday at Legends Rugby Club is perhaps the most compelling in recent memory.

With time and the scoreboard against them, Heathens forced a questionable turnover from a Pirates scrum in the latter’s 22-yard areas.

They moved the ball to build play in a move that also saw replacement scrumhalf Faisal Gamma knock-on but lady luck was with them.

It was destined to be 11 titles and even more heartbreak for the 2007 Cup winners who also lost in the final five years ago.

The match officials let play go on and allow Michael Wokorach utilize a well calculated punt from Phillip Wokorach to touch down and send the travelling fans into ecstasy in the last play of the final.

“I knew it was going to be a hard game but it was even harder than I had expected,” a relieved Phillip Wokorach told Daily Monitor.

Phillip broke the deadlock with a try early on but went on to miss four penalties.

Scrum half Conrad Wanyama put Pirates back into the picture with a penalty.

Phillip would add another try to give Heathens a 10-3 lead at the break.

Pirates looked done and dusted when Chris Lubanga added Heathens’ third try to make it 15-3.

Then came monster 70-metre dash from fullback Timothy Kisiga that gave the game its first twist as the youth in Pirates came into play.

Eccentric fly half Ivan Magomu converted to make it a five point game and more was to come.

Winger Baron Kasozi leveled matters with a blinder of a try followed by another exquisite Magomu conversion.
Pirates had won the trophy and firmly shed the nearly men tag. Not yet. That’s when lady luck and Michael stunned Pirates.

“We had the game in our hands but a section of our players lost concentration to allow Pirates back into the game and they nearly shocked us,” noted Heathen’s Alex Mubiru.

Man of the match Marvin Odongo gave yet another outstanding performance that saw him at the heart Pirates’ game.

Odongo, captain on the day, was all over Heathens, causing them all sorts of problems and deserved to end up on the winning side but fate had other plans.

“It has been such a wonderful experience, I am humbled but at the same time gutted that we did not manage to win it,” Odongo told this paper.

Heathens’ Uganda Cup win means they have now collected silverware in each of the last 10 seasons, lifting five Uganda Cups, six league titles , six national 7s circuits and three Makerere 10s title, making them the most successful side in the last decade.

It also caps a tough year in which they watched Betway Kobs win the league and 7s titles. For that, legend Robert Seguya was ‘promoted’ from head coach to development with Mohammed Athiyo taking charge.

Man of match
Marvin Odongo gave yet another outstanding performance that saw him at the heart Pirates’ game. This was the second game in a row that Odongo was voted Man of Match after last weekend’s semi final performance against Betway Kobs.

RECENT WINNERS
2016: Heathens
2015: Heathens
2014: Heathens
2013: Heathens
2012: Kobs
2011: Kobs
2010: Kobs
2009: Heathens
2008: Kobs
2007: Pirates
2006: Kobs
2005: Kobs
2004: Heathens
2003: Heathens
2002: Heathens
2001: Heathens
2000: Heathens
1999: Heathens

2016 UGANDA CUP FINALS

Main Cup Final

Heathens 20-17 Pirates
Shield Final
Rams 8–0 Gulu Elephants