Rugby Cranes eager to cook something palatable in international Test fixtures

Rugby Cranes players celebrate after beating Kenya to the Elgon Cup last year. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

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Comment. Uganda will look to collapse the distance between itself and the trio of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia in the Africa Rugby Tier 1A showpiece

KAMPALA.

An age-old adage is quick to remind us that variety is the spice of life. The variety of options Rugby Cranes coaches have at their disposal are, however, anything but spicy.

The marriage of flavours is not exactly nauseating, but rather exhausting on account of the different options provoking an intense debate. As hopefuls elbow out rival after rival, their coaches will have to painstakingly take stock of what is being cooked.

The thought — even though fleeting — that their efforts could be deemed fishy will undoubtedly cause consternation in the camp of some, if not many, of the hopefuls. Just to refresh our minds, dear reader, Rugby Cranes have a buffet of international Test matches to ingest between June and July. It will all start on June 4 with an Elgon Cup home tie.

The reverse fixture in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi will take centre stage on July 30. It will double as a Rugby Afrique Tier 1A match and will be preceded by similar engagements against Namibia in Kampala (July 2) and Zimbabwe in Harare (July 16).
Uganda will look to collapse the distance between itself and the trio of Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia in the continental showpiece.

While it isn’t completely beyond the bounds of possibility that Uganda could go all the way as it did in 2007, staying in Tier 1A has been placed atop the pecking order by sage voices.
Tier 1A is undeniably brutal. Rugby Cranes fans sensed this most acutely when their side made heavy weather of beating Kenya’s second string side to last year’s Elgon Cup.

The thought of going toe-to-toe with the first team must be as fascinating as it is chilling for Rugby Cranes fans.
Back in the kitchen, Rugby Cranes backroom staff will be desperate that its plethora of ingredients proves to be digestible. The major concern is the centre pairing. If you mine the past, you will discover that this has been a problematic area and still is.

The scant supply of inside centres has contributed enormously to the problem. This moved Uganda to at one point bite the bullet and field two outside centres (Oscar Kalyango and Michael Wokorach). It was a spectacular failure. The emergence of Gerald Sewankambo at No.12 in last year’s Tests was a pleasant surprise, but whether he can replicate the outstanding form he displayed is up for debate.

I will tell you what else is up for debate — the flagging fortunes of the wings. The June and July Test matches will come too soon for Justin Kimono who is being restored to wellness after surgery on a long-standing injury. Elsewhere, Lawrence Sebuliba, who showed a ruthless appetite for tries on the international scene last year, has had a dip in form. Daudi Semwami, who enjoyed a productive league campaign with EzeeMoney Rhinos, is too rough on the edges to be thrown from the frying pan to the fire.

Could the Rugby Cranes backroom staff be forced to field James Odong and Phillip Wokorach as wings? It’s highly probable from the looks of things.

The merits and demerits of deploying Phillip Wokorach as a wing have been widely discussed.
Truth be told, Phillip Wokorach’s expansive skill set is best put to use in the fullback position. This, though, means that Joseph Aredo doesn’t get to play in a position he so craves.
The touch and go status that injuries have appended on James Ijongat and Ivan Magomu could well mean that Aredo is handed the No.10 jersey. With Pius Ogena and Marvin Odongo also touch and go, Ronald Musajjagulanyago could also grudgingly have to accept to play as an eighth man and not his preferred blind-side flanker position. Thankfully, the options in the loose forward positions abound so much so that the backroom staff will be spoilt for choice.

The front row pretty much picks itself with Asuman Mugerwa taking up a position alongside Brian Odongo in Martial Tchumcham’s absence (he will be sorely missed).

The ravages of advancing age might have made him less devastating in open play, but Alex Mubiru’s combo with Mathias Ochwo at the lineout could prove to be telling. After all, the lineout is a great attacking platform. Ready, steady, cook!

Walusimbi is right, cricket could do with some passion

Before Sam Walusimbi picked up his legendary award at the Uganda Sports Press As-sociation (Uspa) gala two Fridays ago, he had a tête-à-tête with your columnist. The former cricketer was disarmingly honest in the face of a blur of questions from yours truly.

Having rarely operated below the waterline during his well-decorated career, Walusimbi had nothing to be ashamed of as he spread his cards on the table. He owned up even when it seemed impossible to admit vulnerability and was magnanimous in his feats.

Walusimbi did his best to make opening the batting at the 1975 cricket World Cup; bowling left arm spin after fracturing his stronger right arm; picking up 11 wickets against a decent India Colts outfit and winning the Ugandan topflight cricket league in 1993 at the age of 45 all look unremarkable. He was as unassuming as a monk, if not more so.

Walusimbi wasn’t unassuming to a point of emptiness. No. The candour of his narrative impressed your columnist. He maybe 68 now, but Walusimbi still has his antennae on to pick up the goings-on in Ugandan cricket.

He has quite frankly seen enough to be alarmed. He particularly takes exception to the rather disingenuous way “young people” have managed Uganda Cricket Association funds entrusted to their care. This dearth of trustworthiness is of serious concern.

While Walusimbi’s unadulterated passion was innocuous not to raise alarm during a colourful career both as a player and administrator, the gravitation to all things financial by today’s young people has not had an endearing effect. Not on Walusimbi at least.

The 68-year-old doesn’t mince his words while pointing out that today’s young crop of administrators and players chase financial rewards to the point of absurdity. That we live in an age of accelerated commercialism isn’t in doubt, but passion must surely have a place. And not just for old time’s sake.

Walusimbi’s fit of pique triggered by the presence of money sharks is not out of place. Passion has to once again course through the veins of Ugandan cricket if the sport intends to get back its groove.

The instinctive grasp of the darker reaches of the sport by today’s administrators and players alike has to be loosed. Short of that, the sport will continue staring down the barrel of a gun. There are no two ways about it, everything starts and ends with passion; not money.