A lot of rugby happened this weekend, live, on TV, in random places. My job was to watch and heckle and cheer. What I am doing here is express my opinion about things as I saw them or imagined them. My thoughts don’t have to be organized but anyway here we go.
Alex Atulinda what an engine he has. The man keeps on carrying and carrying tirelessly and relentlessly into the next game. He has played as much rugby as Jose Aredo has attended weddings and marriage ceremonies.
Friday night lights in Jinja, from the TV screens it seemed like casting crowns. For the last 20 years rugby has toyed with this format but always has failed to have a standard or even have a marginal guide on what to do at technical level. We were chasing shadows and wondering if it is worth straining your eyes, since night time games are popular, a standard should be enhanced to make certain the best happens.
Friday, why? We have to remind people that the player cohort is made up 100% of volunteers. The technical arm or the planners and sponsors meet their KPI’s of enslaving other adults for the great price of nothing really. It is what it is after all the fans had a great experience in the comfort of wherever they chose to be. As for me, Kawowo was my preferred poison and I got some great off cuff commentary from Mr. Maani “he is on pitch, he can do whatever he wants”.
Mulongo Babirye was the MVP, her tackle rate is high up there. She just never stops doing it, did you see the defense that the Rapids had to observe in the final, post scoring they were stifled away from the ball but they guarded their line with religious piety, the thunderbirds also showed great ball skills to keep it alive and in play. The Rapids knew how to direct meaningful offence wide and keeping the birds from Kyadondo haunted on why they didn’t employ a meaningful kicker. Tina Akello plays like a conductor of an orchestra. She pulls and manages her team in a measured tone that produces scores from nothing. She then steps up and makes the ice-cold conversion. She can’t fathom how difficult that conversion is. She really doesn’t understand how talented she is.
Friday isn’t the night you stayed home; you had to follow the beat to the rhythm of the night. That was a night like no other. Feel the beat of the drummer, dancing till the dusk of Saturday. When you watch Yassin Wasswa playing you forget about the worries of your life.
Boy to man, he is HIM. Totally a savant. That drop goal to send it to extra time was indescribable. I am combing through my archives to look for a man that certain of himself. Buffaloes are so frighteningly quick on the outside and clumsily brutal in the middle, clownish in captain decisions.
They are my favourites to win the overall trophy. Walukuba are a beast, the best of the averages but their current style of play keeps games too close for comfort and is brutal body checking also relying on combat skills. That kind of game will keep you on the edge of your seat but a dicey one in a league of total accumulation of points.
Heathens and Pirates are going to dig deep of course, Pirates always have the trump card of introducing Mr. Kisiga for the home circuit to briefly keep them in the title race then they trail off later. Heathens haven’t figured out how to be a dominant force.
They are now a good crew more like the expendables. They can take on any enemy but do they have the conviction to vanquish them. Kobs like the blue army they are, steeped in history but starved of the answers of today. They are like the biblical Israelites in the book of exodus on the long sojourn to the promised land. The rest can be mentioned among others.
Oh when does the Ugandan establishment ever retire a shirt, I had the embarrassment of watching the Baby Cranes don a kit that is in its 11th year of use. The score flatters to deceive. A great group of young men who have been training together totally have biology and no chemistry.
I understand the school champions Jinja SS have withdrawn their contingent ahead of the East African School games. Leaving us short handed at the front row, second row and in the midfield. We hope other schools don’t follow suit; we still want to have the best possible players out there.
The team despite dismantling an opponent a tier above them, the Cranes practically were frustrating to watch. No cohesion, no strong point, no fluidity. Great to see the team maintaining the tradition of political selections and actual players. No understanding of pressure points. I was so unbothered to learn the names because none has made any. We are a rugby football country. Any coach who doesn’t understand that, should be in another place.
The one time we attempted to play the footie, we were dangerous and scored. Set pieces blew cold and hot the latter more. The second rows were all clueless before the water break on how to anchor the front row. The rucks were very crowded meaning no spare players to create a balance.
At the end of the day, the athleticism took the day but on a technical level that was rubbish. Anyway we look forward to a great end of month and we waste our wages at that place in Bweyogerere.
