Pearls clip Thunderbirds' wings to defend title

The stage was set for the closing matchday of the URU Central Women's 15s league at King's Park, Bweyogerere, on Saturday.

Anxiety filled the air as Black Pearls hosted Thunderbirds, their fiercest rivals in a do-or-burst tie for both teams. 

The hosts knew anything outside a loss would guarantee them hoisting the title for the second successive year and that was evident when referee Sauda Adiru blew the opening whistle.

Black Pearls attacked straight away, with sweet backline movements, forcing Thunderbirds into desperate defending. Charlotte Mudoola asked for the tee and split the uprights for the opening points of the match.

Winger Emilly Lekuru, on fire following her four-try heroics against Avengers the previous week, was, obviously, going to cause trouble and that showed immediately she got the ball from Rita Nadunga and danced her way to the tryline. Mudoola missed the conversion.

By now the signs were showing. Thunderbirds were dying for a response, relying majorly on their forwards' physicality and short interplays.

Winnie Atyang received a short pass from Aisha Nakityo and broke the line only to be stopped in her tracks by Hellen Acanit.

Pearls turned over and switched the ball to the left wing, where Lekuru crossed but saw her try cancelled.

Thunderbirds had had enough so when the opportunity for a penalty came for Pearls' infringement, Mary Kyoita grabbed it, but agonizingly failed to find the target. 

They kept their heads high, used their pack for bruising battles but never got the reward.

Flyhalf Helen Buteme spotted a gap and sliced through the Thunderbirds defense, picked No. 8 Suzan Adong, and what followed was a half pitch sprint the white chalk. Mudoola missed the sticks again. Half time score: 13-00.

You would usually expect a team of Thunderbirds' experience to  return from the breather with sting but things went further south for them. 

Racheal Mufuwa's run down the left wing got spectators off their seats when she blind-faked Emilly Nanziri, released center Grace Auma, who in turn found Nadunga for the first of her three tries.

Mudoola's gods came through this time with her boot finding the distance and target.

Thunderbirds got their chance to register their first points on the board through a Mary Kyoita penalty. But that was to be their first and last.

What ensued was a total annihilation from the hosts. Auma made two more assists to Nadunga, who, for her three tries, received the Woman of the Match plaque.

The Black Pearls received their trophy and danced to Fik Fameica and Azawi's "Come See We" song, a true reflection of their journey from the team that started their journey as Walukuba Titans in Jinja, a little over seven years ago.

Thunderbirds, the oldest and most successful women's rugby team in Uganda, looked out of their depth and many will surely ask them the hard questions. 

In the recent past, they have seen their dominance fade away in both 15s and 7s.

"We shall come back stronger," vowed Nakityo. How soon? They know better. For now, it's the Black Pearls enjoying the ride and Saturday's demolition of their opponents proved that.