Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
1 July 2011
Hours before they left the country for Zimbabwe yesterday, Rugby Cranes were made to learn that their game had been moved from the capital Harare to Bulawayo. Uganda will now play Zimbabwe at the Hartsfield Rugby grounds and not the usual Harare Sports Club tomorrow in the return leg of the Victoria Cup.
The choice of going to the southern country’s second city not only brought the reality of very cold weather but a further 430km journey by bus. “It’s winter in southern Africa now which adds a twist,” referee Ramsey Olinga, who was in Bulawayo last Saturday as match commissioner when the hosts smacked Kenya 42-24, warned. The team could have benefited from travelling early but was only booked onto the yesterday evening flight rather than the morning one like earlier planned. After learning of the change, head coach Yayiro Kasasa and his staff opted for a light workout in order to enable players conserve energy.
Drills on Wednesday evening lasted just over one hour and yesterday’s session never took off. Kasasa might need a big improvement to overturn a 15-25 deficit from the first leg at Kyadondo three weeks ago. “When preparing for an away game, you must take into account all these kinds of things,” Kasasa said. Rugby Cranes will go into the game with hooker Alex Mubiru as stand-in captain due to the absence of Mathias Ochwo and his deputy Timothy Mudoola. Centre Evans Kingasia is the assistant.
Starting 15
J. Onen, J. Kimono,
M. Wokorach, E. Kingasia,
D. Etuket, B. Kiiza, F. Gamma,
S. Oluoch, A. Olweny,
S. Ogwete, R. Ogwal,
R. Mwisaka, D. Mugambe,
A. Mubiru, R. Adigasi
Substitutes
S. Mawanda, B. Odong,
T. Kabonero, R. Musajja,
A. Matsiko, O. Kalyango,
L. Wakabi
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Uganda: Rugby Cranes Game Switched