Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
19 June 2011
A virtuoso first half display gave Uganda Rugby Cranes a less than impressive 58-30 victory over Madagascar to finish the Africa Cup group 1B tournament with a wide smile at Kyadondo RFC yesterday.
In the dead rubber game watched by a huge crowd, man-of-the-match Robert Seguya ran in a hat trick of tries to crown a fine performance.
Captain Mathias Ochwo, a partner to Seguya in the back row, started the rout with a touchdown on four minutes.
The latter’s show started soon after Ochwo was replaced for a suspected bruised rib.
The veteran flanker added two tries in the next seven minutes. They looked like a copy and paste when he picked the ball on the blindside of the scrum. Fly-half Benon Kiiza converted two of these for a 19-0 lead inside 14 minutes.
Kiiza’s turn duly arrived as he side-stepped three defenders to score a centre-post try in the 1th minute which he easily converted.
Centre Michael Wokorach got his name of the sheet before wing Justin Kimono raced almost the entire length to slide with the ball in hand for his third of the tournament.
Flanker Steven Ogwete, a replacement for Ochwo, also scored. Seguya buried the islanders with the last of his try haul just before the breather as Uganda led 48-7
Finishing second behind event winners Zimbabwe was inevitable now.
The crystal white cloth was stained by hooker Alex Mubiru giving away the ball for Benjaniana Rakotoarivelo to cut the deficit. Rija Rakotoarimanana converted.
The second half had a different story when the Markis burst out of their shells. “I think we lacked leadership (after Ochwo went off) and conditioning,” national coach Yayiro Musisi Kasasa said.
Rakotoarimanana added three penalties to add to the tries scored by Boniface Toussian and Rakotoarivelo which made the score respectable.
Eighth man Scot Oluoch and Ogwete gave the home fans to cheer in the second period with a try apiece.
AllAfrica – All the Time
More here:
Unwavering Cranes Thrash Madagascar