Heathens, Pirates seek early advantage

If you're thinking of sneaking out of  office this afternoon, the Nile Special Rugby Premiership first semifinal between Platinum Credit Heathens and Stanbic Black Pirates offers the perfect excuse.

The last time these two clashed, Heathens led 31-9 with 20 minutes to play but Pirates roared back to win 33-31 in the season’s most stunning comeback.

That collapse didn’t just bruise Heathens’ pride, it derailed their campaign and triggered a run of three straight losses before eventually stumbling to a fourth-place regular season finish, their worst ever.

Now, the giants clash again in the semifinals with the first leg heading to Kyadondo where Pirates lost last year’s final to the same opponent. For the Sea Robbers, it’s a shot at revenge and redemption.

For the yellow machine, there’s a chance to rewrite a season that was almost lost to complacency.

Road to the Semis

Heathens, battered but far from broken, have found their way back. Though their regular season finish was well below their usual standard, they’ve shown signs of rediscovering their ruthless edge.

Paired with Victoria Sharks in what looked somewhat like an even contest on paper, Heathens dominated the first leg 51-36 before settling for a 10-all draw in the return.

Heathens coach Mohammed Athiyo called the loss to Pirates “a blessing in disguise.”

“It woke us up. As champions, we had to realize that everyone was coming for us. This is knockout rugby and we know what it takes,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pirates have looked unstoppable. They dropped just one game all season and swept aside Walukuba Barbarians 63-26 on aggregate in the quarters even after the Jinja side walked off prematurely in the second leg.

“We don’t dwell on the past because every match is a new battle,” Pirates coach Marvin Odongo told Saturday Sports. “Heathens are always tough especially at Kyadondo but we need to dominate set-pieces and stick to our systems,” he revealed.

Indeed, set-pieces could be crucial and Pirates have the edge in the kicking department.  Their talisman William Nkore leads the league with 161 points of which only four have come from tries.

His precision off the tee has been key. Heathens, by contrast, have struggled from the boot. Their top scorer Malcolm Okello has managed just half Nkore’s tally.

But what Heathens lack in kicking, they make up for in pace and finishing. Joseph Oyet and returning skipper Michael Wokorach have 18 tries between them and they’ll be key to unlocking Pirates’ defence.

NILE SPECIAL RUGBY PREMIERSHIP

Semifinal 2 1^st leg fixture – 4pm

Platinum Credit Heathens vs. Stanbic Black Pirates, Kyadondo grounds