Rugby Cranes beaten in Elgon Cup first leg
KAMPALA.
Uganda will have a five-point difference to make up to reclaim the Elgon Cup after Rugby Cranes lost 23-18 at home to Kenya on Saturday.
Tries from man of the match Marvin Odongo and James Odong were insufficient to push the hosts over the line at a packed Legends Rugby Club on a sunny afternoon.
Fullback Philip Wokorach added the rest with two penalties and a conversion. However, he missed the same tally from the tee accounting for eight points squandered.
Darwin Mukidza’s flawless kicking (13pts), tries from Samson Onsomu and Martin Owilla handed the Kenya Simbas the advantage ahead of the return leg in Nairobi in a fortnight.
That game on June 24 will also double as the opening encounter of the inaugural Africa Gold Cup. Coaches John Duncan and Robert Seguya will hope that the team is better by then.
Desperate to wash away last year’s 48-10 demolition at the same ground, Rugby Cranes had recovered from a 0-10 hole to take an 18-10 halftime lead.
A frantic opening saw Philip Wokorach missed a penalty in the fourth minute. Soon after, stand-in skipper Mukidza put Kenya in the lead with a penalty.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges, dominating both in terms of territory and possession. Had it not been for a forward pass and knock on, Uganda would have been chasing wind.
On 19 minutes, they got their reward when scrumhalf Onsomu touched down after Philip Wokorach lost the ball in contact trying to beat a defender too many. Mukidza converted.
Scot Olouch led the response with a brilliant run that saw him evade three defenders. The open side flanker offloaded to mercurial eighth man Marvin Odongo to lift the mood with a try.
Philip Wokorach missed the conversion then nailed the next two penalties for an 11-10 lead. Uganda should have gone further ahead had he not missed his next effort.
At the stroke of halftime, fly-half Ivan Magomu played a delightful kick over the top for wing James Odong to score a try in corner which Philip Wokorach converted.
Little did the crowd know that this was the last Rugby Cranes would trouble Kenya who eighth man Owilla scored a second half try in addition to a Mukidza penalty.
In all, Uganda averted the crisis created by losing 48-10 and 45-24 (away) to Kenya last year but remain inefficient to win games of this magnitude, for now.
ELGON CUP
FIRST LEG RESULT
Uganda 18-23 Kenya
AFRICA GOLD CUP
June 24 Kenya v Uganda
July 1 Senegal v Uganda
July 15 Uganda v Tunisia
July 22 Uganda v Namibia
August 5 Uganda v Zimbabwe
