Drama as Pirates - Impis Nile Premiership tie stops halfway
Avoidable scene. Touch judge Charlie Mungoma (R) referee Ronald Wotimber (in yellow) order Impis player Anthony Musimenta (2nd L) to leave the field of play after he was yellow carded at Legends Rugby Grounds on Friday. PHOTO BY E.DDIE CHICCO.
What you need to know:
- For now Pirates will momentarily bask in the glory of notching another bonus point win that takes them to 42 points - seven more than second place Kobs who were scheduled to play Rams at Legends yesterday.
- Pirates top try scorer Barron Kasozi revealed that he wished the game could have gone because they hoped to record another big score.
FRIDAY - NILE SPECIAL RUGBY PREMIERSHIP
Pirates 20-0 Impis
(If walkover is awarded)
Pirates 31-3 Impis
(By the time the game stopped)
KAMPALA. A referee calls for the end of a rugby after 80 minutes but center referee Ronald Wotimber found himself in a situation where he had to call off the Buzz Black Pirates - Makerere Impis Nile Special Rugby Premiership tie early on in the second half on Friday.
With Pirates leading 31-3, the man in the middle signaled for the end of the game after Makerere Impis captain Anthony Musimenta refused to head to the sin-bin despite being shown a yellow card for ‘time wasting’.
Pirates were owning the game until Musimenta felt his ‘neck injury’ needed attention. He kept falling to the ground, halting play but the referee saw it as a tactic to slow down the game after he attempted it for the third time.
Yellow card
On the third occasion, Musimenta was shown a yellow card but saw no reason to leave the pitch as he felt that his plea for medical attention was a deserved and necessary one.
“I was down trying to get medical attention but he (referee) showed me a yellow card yet he himself had told us at the beginning of the game that safety comes first,” Musimenta told Sunday Monitor.
However, despite the game being called off before time, referee educator Robert Bwali says a final decision will be reached after the referee match report has been studied.
“For now I cannot say much,” said Bwali. “We just have to wait for what the referee’s report has and we see what action to take.”
Pirates roar on
For now Pirates will momentarily bask in the glory of notching another bonus point win that takes them to 42 points - seven more than second place Kobs who were scheduled to play Rams at Legends yesterday.
Pirates top try scorer Barron Kasozi revealed that he wished the game could have gone because they hoped to record another big score.
“I was enjoying the game. We should have posted more points had the game gone on,” said Kasozi.
Pirates have recorded the season’s biggest score (102) against Jinja Hippos.
