Rugby Cranes XV: Quick turnaround calls for changes

Recovery Time. Magomu (L) must guide Cranes over the lines today. PHOTO/JOaHN BATANUDDE

Fred Mudoola is expected to ring changes as the Rugby Cranes dust themselves up for a clash against Senegal in the 2022 Africa Cup today. Uganda seek placement after being knocked out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup race.
Uganda was battered 42-7 by Kenya on Saturday at the Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence. That race for a sole place at the World Cup continues today.

With under 96 hours between that loss and today, Mudoola will be expected to make massive changes for the game at Stade Delort in Marseille.
Among those should be a first start for Alema Ruhweza on the front row. Ronald Kanyanya and Colin Kimbowa could also come into the engine room.
In addition, utility back Joseph Aredo and scrumhalf Conrad Wanyama are due starts as Uganda hope to skip a seventh/eighth place finish into fifth/sixth. More importantly, there has to be major improvements across the field after Uganda was put under the pump against Kenya.

Among those areas has got to be being quick off the blocks, discipline and set-piece execution for a first meeting with the West African in five years. Rugby Cranes beat Senegal 17-16 in Dakar on July 1, 2017. From that side, Mudoola has six survivors. Front row Asuman Mugerwa, lock Charles Uhuru, flyhalf Ivan Magomu (also captain), first centre Pius Ogena and fullback Philip Wokorach started that game. Prop Colin Kimbowa came off the bench. Uhuru scored one of Uganda’s two tries while Wokorach contributed seven points with the boot. 

2022 RUGBY AFRICA CUP 
Today’s fixtures

Semi-finals for positions 5-8
Senegal     vs.     Uganda, 4pm 
Burkina Faso     vs.     Ivory Coast
Semifinals – World Cup qualifiers
Algeria         vs.     Kenya
Namibia     vs.     Zimbabwe