By: James Kavuma
Coach Tolbert Onyango, wherever you are, last weekend was for you. The nation appreciates and salutes your services.
This salutation has nothing to do with the training the national 7s team is undergoing in preparation for the Challenger Series in Stellenbosch.
I am just waiting to be surprised and awed by what aces the fanciest rugby players in East Africa will have up their sleeves.
Rather, this is about the absence of those particular boys from their local clubs and how that has eerily balanced the scale. Last weekend was an indicator of how much impact those lads have on their teams.
The KOBs, away in Jinja, needed Pius Ogena to channel his inner Fire Lord Iroh after falling behind at the break to push his team to a nervy 29-14 win.
KOBs were without the indefatigable Ian Munyani, the showstopper Adrian Kasito and the speedster Mark Osuna.
The Hippos were without the blitzers Denis Etwau, Timothy Mugisha, and Yasin Wasswa. In the same fixture last year, KOBs were 34-10 winners, a gap which was reduced by 9 points this time round.
The defending champions, Heathens, have looked like a shadow of themselves since the departure of Norbert Okeny, Michael Wokorach, and the playmaker Aaron Ofoywroth for national team engagements.
Against a Rhinos side that has majorly fired blanks this season, they struggled to get out of second gear though they managed to avoid a scare and muster a 31-07 win. Lest we forget, they wiped the floor with them last year, winning 47-03 away.
Things haven’t been easy at the Sea lately. The waves are stronger. The attack weapons aren’t firing as they used to. For the second week in a row, the Pirates were denied a bonus win bounty.
The Buffaloes have been a hard nut to crack this year and have particularly enjoyed playing the Pirates. Lest we forget, they kept them scoreless in the second half of their first meeting this year.
Not many teams can boast of keeping the Pirates at two tries scored in a game. The glaring gaps left by 7s players: Timothy Kisiga, Desire Ayera, Mubarak Wandera, and Alex Aturinda maybe? Who knows?
We have saved the best for last. Derbies are always a wild affair in rugby. Loss of structure, lots of donkey work, and a scoreboard that doesn’t make sense.
For the first time in a while, the Impis have a league double over the Rams. This game had nothing to do with margins reducing but rather a landlord putting a tenant in their place, condemning the Rams to last place on the log.
It is time for the calculators to get new batteries and start the mathematics. It is about to get tough.
Courtesy Photos
