Rugby Cranes set eyes on the 2019 World Cup

KAMPALA. Just as they did in their opening fixture of the campaign against Kenya, Uganda’s Rugby Cranes scored in the excess of thirty points; only that they did not concede as much this time, which meant they won Saturday’s closing 2017 Rugby Africa Gold Cup match at a canter.

The scoreboard at Legends Club read 38-12 at full-time, but it looked markedly different as fans jostled to take their favourite places at the start of the Test match. Zimbabwe had the stomachs of their hosts in knots when Royal Mwale went over for an unconverted try inside the opening two minutes.

Hilton Mudariki, who failed to split the uprights on that occasion, would make amends shortly before half-time by converting his own try.

The writing, though, was already on the wall for the tourists. Uganda had already run in four tries courtesy Bryan Asaba, Lawrence Sebuliba, Aaron Ofoirwoth and Phillip Wokorach to not only keep the scoreboard ticking, but also secure a bonus point.

The Rugby Cranes held Zimbabwe scoreless after the breather as Sebuliba completed his hat-trick. Pleased with his day’s shift, the wing attributed his insatiable appetite for tries to “a phone call I received [on Saturday] morning.”
Sebuliba did not reveal the mystery caller or what they said for that matter. All he was willing to divulge was that the caller “motivated me.”

His skipper, the loose-head prop Brian Odongo, also wants the Uganda Rugby Union to work the phone and secure Test matches that will help Uganda arrive for the 2018 Gold Cup in a good shape. The tournament will double as a 2019 World Cup qualifier, and shall see Uganda join Namibia, Kenya, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Morocco in trying to secure a berth at the hand-egg’s flagship event.

“We need Test matches to try out different combinations. We don’t need to try out these combinations in the Gold Cup as we did this time,” Odongo said alluding to the centre pairing of Michael Wokorach and Pius Ogena.
Ogena started the game in the back division, but ended up in the back row when Ivan Magomu came off the bench to play first centre. Uganda traditionally plays battering rams at No.12, and Ogena has lived up to that billing this campaign. He certainly did so on Saturday when one of his take-no-prisoners tackles sent Kingsley Lang to the treatment table.

Magomu says the option of playing a second No.10 at first centre is one that “can work.” But it will definitely need a couple of dress rehearsals to ascertain its impact.
For now, though, the Rugby Cranes can take great delight in winning 16 points out of a possible 25 in this year’s campaign. The tally ensured that Uganda finished third. They will need to place in the top two to stand a chance of playing at the 2019 World Cup.

2017 Rugby Africa Gold Cup
Team Pl W D L Pts
Namibia 5 5 0 0 25
Kenya 5 3 1 1 18
Uganda 5 3 1 1 16
Tunisia 5 2 0 3 8
Zimbabwe 5 1 0 4 6
Senegal 5 0 0 5 1

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