Flawless Hippos Take Impis to Rugby School

The Jinja Hippos capped the rugby weekend with a dominant 48-20 victory over Impis in their National Rugby Championship match at the Makerere Graveyard on Saturday.

A brace of tries by Elvis Epira and one each from Julius Opio, Fidel Aremo and speed merchant Brighton Bakasa closed off a brilliant perfomance in the first half with Yasin Wasswa, who looks to have his magical boot back picking the extras.

However, they may have some injury worries to contend with as Opio and Odoi trudged off with discomforft to perharps dampen the mood a little bit. Despite all this, there is no doubt that this Jinja Hippos side is in such good shape at the moment.

Their attacking flair is almost natural and it wasn’t suprising to see them score five tries in the first half alone and virtualy take the game away from the Impis, with the final scoreline being the only debatable point.

Solid👊 pic.twitter.com/Wn7Dbpo4Sp

— Bakasa Bakasa (@BrightonBakasa4) March 10, 2024

Second Half Drama

Early yellow cards to powerful hooker Paul Siringiti and tight head prop Fahard Maido upon returning for the second half threatened the Jinja Hippos’ bonus point. Impis capitalized with two quick tries, narrowing the gap to 20-34.

It took Siringiti a few minutes upon returning from the sin bin to power through the Impis backline and cross the white wash to put the bonus point within one try’s reach.

Andrew Odhiambo, the Jinja Hippos’ top scorer, answered the Hippos fans’ prayers to earn a bonus point when he easily grounded the ball at the back following a dominant scrum that pushed Impis passed their own try line.

Yasin Wasswa, named Man of the Match for his impressive kicking, converted the try. Shortly after, the centre referee sent the students back to their lecture rooms for revision as they prepare for their next test against the Mongers.

Looking Ahead

The jinja hippos welcome their brothers from Kyadondo the Toyota Buffaloes at their fortress, the Dam Waters, in a match that will also serve as the second leg of the Soggy Cup, a memorial match for the late Robert Seguya who coached both teams.

The first leg of the Robert Seguya Cup ended 3-3 at Kyadondo and the winner of this match will claim the trophy.

Courtesy Photos