The Playoff Picture – Rugby Championship

After eight rounds of unimaginable and unscripted rugby drama, the players take an earned break to observe the Easter period, be with family on Saturday (for once), and also recharge the engines as we approach the critical and last part of the round-robin stages, and make way for the playoffs.

This year has been like no other. The premiership was remodelled into the championship and life hasn’t been the same since. Rugby is a lot more nervy, and therefore more interesting.

The big three as we knew it has been dismantled, there are more draws to cause unrest and several newcomers are breaking down barriers. With all that said, if the playoffs were to start this weekend, here is what the matchups would look like.

QF1: 4 v 5: Stanbic Black Pirates vs KCB KOBs

Another Bankers Derby! Saucy!!

We have so far witnessed two of these and they have been top exhibitions of what Uganda’s finest are offering. And we would be deserving of one more for the road to give us an outright winner.

The score is currently balanced with each side managing a win. The KOBs came out on top in that Uganda Quarterfinal hosted at Kampala Rugby Club, while the Pirates got their revenge in the second weekend of the new Championship.

KOBs have lost three, drawn one, and won four; a scorecard not synonymous with the motioning poets after 8 game weeks of rugby played. They can definitely improve, and who better to help prove they are still a big dog than the defending champions, the Pirates?

The Stanbic Black Pirates have had a forgettable March, losing both away games (Mongers and Buffaloes) and if there’s a foe they’d love to show up and show out against, they don’t come better than the KCB KOBs.

QF2: 1 v 8: Platinum Credit Heathens vs Walukuba Barbarians

The Platinum Credit Heathens have been the more consistent side of the Championship and that’s a testament to their position on the log, as leaders. They have just found ways not to lose.

Be that as it may, the Heathens have had harsh encounters with the teams across the Nile Bridge. Their game against Hippos was one for the books, as they came within five centimeters of losing courtesy of a retaken conversion kick.

The miss made Hippos the only team to deny them a win this year. Their second game in Jinja, against the Barbarians, was another nail-biter, the record champions needed a late Michael Amollo try to grab victory from the jaws of death.

On the other hand, the Walukuba Barbarians have been the perpetual near-team. Their game against the Heathens is a perfect example of that. Fair play to them as they are trying to deal with life without their Siya Kolisi in Bob Kawanda.

They sit five points behind the Rhinos (in free fall) and have managed three wins and 5 losses. It is worth noting that they have five bonus points, a testament to how close their games have been.

QF3: 2 v 7: Jinja Hippos vs Rhinos

The uncharted waters of the games. The Rhinos and Hippos will meet a while later to size themselves up before playoffs but that notwithstanding, we can have a say on what to expect.

The Jinja Hippos sit second on the log, just three points behind the Heathens. The Hippos are different monsters this year.

They are the only team to deny Heathens a win this year, defeated KOBs on the opening weekend, and were only two minutes of correct decisions away from upsetting the defending champion, Stanbic Black Pirates.

They are a team on fire and one that should be avoided. For how long you want to avoid them, only time can tell.

The Rhinos were the most in-form team after five games with five wins. They have since gone on a 3-game skid, reminiscent of the Impis last year.

It doesn’t look good but a game against the punishers in Hippos would serve as a show in which they could remind everyone else just how good they are. They are a young team, with brilliant ideas and hungry players, something we can remember about the Hippos circa 2019.

QF4: 3 v 6: Plascon Mongers vs Toyota Buffaloes

Remember the opening weekend of the Championship? Buffaloes and Mongers played out a tight 24-19 game with the latter emerging winners in Entebbe.

The Plascon Mongers find themselves in third place after 8 games played, a very incredible feat, just behind the Heathens and Hippos.

They have quietly gone about their business and most recently kicked 7 goals to come back from 7-0 down to defeat the Rhinos, giving them 6 wins from 8 games.

The Toyota Buffaloes are a camouflage special. You can never be sure which Buffaloes side will show up until you kit up against them.

The 11-00 shut-out win against the Pirates is as big a boost as any for them to get pumped and be ready for the grueling demands of the playoffs, which require all teams on their very best for more than 80 minutes per game.

Playoff Picture after Week Eight

QF1 – Stanbic Black Pirates vs KCB KOBs
QF2 – Platinum Credit Heathens vs Walukuba Barbarians
QF3 – Jinja Hippos vs Rhinos
QF4 – Plascon Mongers vs Toyota Buffaloes

FYI, the semi-finals are lined up as follows
SF1 – Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2
SF2 – Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4

Courtesy Photos