Kenya schools half-baked Cranes

Phillip Wokorach with the ball got a brace. File photo

KAMPALA.

In a game Uganda was expected to gauge its chances of staying in the top tier league of Africa, 1A, they crumbled like dominos in front of their own fans that perhaps had undermined the bulk in the test ahead. After cries of playing the Kenya Simbas instead of Kenya A in the Elgon Cup, Cranes was taken to rugby school when it came to the big stage at Legends RFC on Saturday.

Isaac Adimo and Nick Barasa of Kenya tackle Ronald Musajjagulanyago of Uganda during the first round of the Elgon Cup on 04 June 2016 at Legend Rugby Club, Kampala. Photo by Ismail Kezaala.

By the time man of the match Darwin Mukidza scored the last of Kenya`s seven tries enroute to helping Kenya to a 38 point advantage in the Elgon Cup with a 48-10 win, the Rugby Cranes had looked like captives in their own backyard for most of the game. In a nutshell, all they did was have some moments that did not really matter as the Kenyans could not crack.

Cranes coach Robert Seguya was unfazed by Kenya`s superiority but picked positives from the game his side would love to forget after

Phillip Wokorach and Ronald Musajjagulanyago of Uganda challenge Darwin Mukidza of Kenya during the first round of the Elgon Cup on 04 June 2016 at Legend Rugby Club, Kampala.Photo by Ismail Kezaala.


“The game has helped us single out every part of our game that we should work on or put more emphasis on, to me this loss was a good lesson to the team,” he told Daily Monitor.

Trailing 12-0 early on, the home fans had confirmed their worst fears that Cranes wasn’t a match for the Kenya Simbas but debutant Byron Oteka gave Uganda a lifeline with a try before Kevin Markmot converted and Phillip Wokorach added a penalty to sum up Uganda`s 10 points which all came in the first half. The second half saw a composed Kenya make Uganda huff and puff for 20 minutes but had nothing to show for it before they resumed with the scoring.

sequenced school boy errors by Uganda gave Kenya a perfect day and Seguya credits it to Kenya`s experience which Uganda lacked.

“Having a lot of young boys can be a disadvantage when you come up against experienced sides like the one we faced as many mistakes are made,”

Uganda gave away 14 penalties compared to Kenya`s 4, a statistic that leaves Seguya and his technical team with enough on the table before their next game against Namibia on 2 July.

Assistant Coach Anthony Kinene knows his side will get there now that they know what to work.
“The defensive patterns let us down, we need to focus on the lineout too and then we shall be there,”
Uganda plays Kenya on 30 July in Nairobi for the return leg which will also double as a 1A tie. Zimbabwe and Namibia are the sides Uganda has to battle to remain in 1A.

Uganda 10-48 Kenya