Baby Rugby Cranes earn Nairobi lifeline

The Baby Cranes have spent eight days playing in the U-20 Barthes trophy in Nairobi, Kenya, and will be on the bus back to Kampala on Easter Monday after playing Tunisia tomorrow in the fifth place final.

 The lads, coached by former Rugby Cranes internationals Richard Lumu and Martial Tchumkam, and managed by Dennis Etuket, have been in safe hands. 
“They are the future, we must therefore guide them and try to keep them in the game for as long as possible,” Lumu told Score from Nairobi after scraping past Ivory Coast on Wednesday morning. 

It is what any rugby union would want to, unfortunately many of these players fall off the trail.
Uganda came into the competition only to replace Senegal and that called for last ditch preparations that was a big challenge to the management. They had to assemble a side in about three weeks after a couple of trial games. 

As the eighth seed, Uganda had no pressure and a 54-20 loss to Kenya on the opening day did not cause any panic, in fact the coaches were full of praise for the boys and only called for improvement. 
“Everyone was talking of how our boys were on track after the Kenya game, they just broke down in the second half when the Kenyans switched into the next gear,” said Tchumkam, who also coaches Rhinos in the Nile Special Premiership.

Fitness concerns
Against Ivory Coast, the same second half slump problems manifested only that Uganda held on for their first win of the tournament with a 26-19 victory. They scored six and conceded 19 after the break, something Lumu blamed on fitness. 
“The fact that we trained for only a short time coming into the competition puts us below par when it comes to fitness compared to other sides,” said Lumu, whose captain’s run routines also go overboard, turning into intense sessions.

Being the eighth seed after only  being admitted as  Senegal’s replacement, Uganda have punched above their weight and will either finish fifth or sixth tomorrow. 
That spells success for a side that was initially not part of the juniors tournament. It also means they automatically qualify for next year’s event having finished better than seventh place.

Captain Daniel Okello has been a revelation, especially with his magical boot. He is the tournaments’ top scorer with 36 points and it’s likely to stay that way unless Namibia’s Geraldo Beukes goes off against Zimbabwe in the final. 
The Kyadondo lad has gone about his flyhalf duties as a young general with confidence and guile. He is one for the future and Heathens are lucky to have him in their ranks. 

Away from Okello, his supporting cast has stepped with the likes of backrow Jeremy Thembo Biyinzika, a brother to Rhinos’ Timothy Bulooti. 
The former Namilyango College student is one season old in the league and his shifts in Nairobi show he is operating a level above his peers. 
 
Fullback Michael Kalyango is another jewel. His game play from the back is a joy to watch with good positioning and ball handling skills. He will, however, have to work on his kicking game. 
Jinja Hippos’ Yasin Wasswa also has a bright prospect. At Hippos he has been kicking for fun but Okello deprived him of the role in Kenya although his exploits at inside centre cannot be overlooked.

Raising the bar
Uganda has never been short of talent in any sport but how it’s handled is a shame most times. 
There is always talk of keeping a team like this one together as they graduate in the Rugby Cranes set up. 
Of the eight countries at the competition, Zimbabwe (34), Kenya (35), Ivory Coast (41) and Tunisia (39), Madagascar (45) are ranked higher than Uganda at 51 according to current World Rugby rankings.  

On pitch, Uganda is not far away from the rest but what happens in the boardrooms should prioritise rugby at that level to bridge the gap.
It all starts there and some of the best players in Uganda rugby have come through that stage. It is high time Lumu’s boys are given more attention. 

Uganda Rugby Union age grade and development manager Dorothy Nekesa has spent the week catching the games from her VIP seat, interacting with officials from different countries. 
It is only wise of her to bring some notes back home because they are duly needed now that they return next year with something to build on. 
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