Namilyango faces its arch-nemesis, SMACK, in a fixture that heavily determines their qualification to the playoffs.
Having lost the first fixture 10-08, the fumblers look to turn their luck around and secure a much-needed win.
With social media tipping the game in favour of SMACK, here are a few reasons why Namilyango can’t lose this game.
It’s a swim or sink situation
Namilyango’s heavily contested group from which only two teams can progress has SMACK, HANA, and London College too.
HANA and SMACK have only lost once, while Namilyango seems to have used up all its loss credits.
This means they just can’t afford any other loss. When you hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up!
Finally, this would be the first time the rugby giants fail to make it out of the group stages in the history of school rugby.
The game is in Namilyango
For anyone that has ever attended or played a game in Namilyango, the statement above should have sent a shiver down their spines.
In Uganda, the Seeta-based school is the only place where rugby is treated religiously, and “Kill a weevil” is the title of the most popular hymn.
The several similarities between Ngo and SMACK are the reason behind this close competition.
The competitive exclusion principle tells us that two species can’t have exactly the same niche in a habitat and stably coexist.
That’s because species with identical niches also have identical needs, which means they would compete for precisely the same resources.
Since genesis SMACK has only won twice from those grounds, and those were the darkest days for Namilyango. Never again, they vowed. The home advantage plays a big role in this fixture.
Furthermore, Namilyango has the closest to a standard rugby pitch in school rugby, with standard rugby posts. Training from such a facility gives them an edge.
A boost to Namilyango squad
The recent admission of senior five students to the college has been a massive boost to the Namilyango team.
They get to retain some of the heroes from the East Africa Games Rugby winning squad, and also recruit new talents from other schools.
When asked about his team depth, Coach Kakuru Ambrose said “We have improved the ones we have and added on.” So as VJ Jingo once said, “Kigenda kutokota”.
A formidable scrum
The trademark for Namilyango rugby has been physicality for many years. However, coaches Ssemakula, Walakira, Pio, and Wadiya have transformed this into a very mobile, yet physical pack of forwards.
It’s no surprise that Namilyango’s structure revolves around forwards to carry the ball past the gain-line, and less ball usage by the backline.
This mixture of physicality and fluidity makes it hard for defenders to contain the attack.
The fifth and last is that … well, it’s not there.
It would look weird to have a headline reading “4 reasons”.
But all in all, the game will be a joy to watch and heavily contested. Please spare time and catch the game. It won’t be disappointing.
Photo Credit: Uganda Rugby Union
