Tunisia promise better show against Uganda

KAMPALA. The Tunisia national rugby side had their first training session in Kampala yesterday at Kyadondo Rugby Club, two days after being left for dead against Kenya in a 100-10 thrashing in the Gold Cup. The score line left Ugandans looking forward to Saturday when the two meet at Legends RFC.
Tunisia coach Hedi Momamedali has however spared his side the blame for Saturday’s loss which he attributed to the Nairobi’s high altitude.

“The result in Kenya does not reflect our capabilities on pitch,” he told Daily Monitor yesterday after taking his side through their paces. “The high altitude could not let our players breathe with ease even during the game, they could hardly function,” he added.

After more than 24 hours in Kampala, Hedi is satisfied with the altitude and confident his side will put up a better performance against the Rugby Cranes. “The conditions are better here and we shall improve, “he said.

Unhappy
Apart from the friendly altitude levels, Hedi has not been impressed with anything else in Kampala. The coach claims Nob View Hotel, where the side is residing is below the standards they expected and that they are thinking of swapping with four more days to spend here.

“We are thinking of switching hotels because we are not happy with where we are; the bus to training arrived an hour late, the water for training came late and many other things are not okay. If things don’t change we shall inform Rugby Africa,” he threatened.

Team official Wael Ben Dhiab has admitted that they have no knowledge on Uganda but are ready for Saturday`s task despite having a very inexperienced side.

“It’s the first time for all of us to be here, we know nothing about Uganda and many players have got their debuts in the Gold Cup,” he said.

A section of Tunisia’s first team players, especially those who play in France made themselves unavailable for the side, forcing the selectors to opt for local players who have prepared for less than a month.

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