Rugby Cranes defiant after defeat to Namibia

Africa Rugby Tier 1A

Uganda 31 Namibia 40

Rugby Cranes captain Brian Odongo would not flinch in the face of the uncomfortable facts, which when rationally viewed suggest Uganda's Africa Rugby Tier 1A campaign might have ended on the opening day.

Defending champions Namibia eased to a 41-30 victory at Kyadondo that left Uganda needing to win away in Zimbabwe and Kenya to survive relegation but Odongo would not entertain the prophecies of doom in the wake of Saturday's reverse.

"The loss doesn't complicate anything," Odongo rebuffed a leading question. "We are going to go and win our next games."

Asked to then point out what had gone wrong against Namibia, Odongo could not find the words, simply shaking his head in bewilderment. Cranes coach John Duncan had a clear idea though.

"We did not have the accuracy we needed," Duncan revealed.

"The difference between the great and good is in the margins and we just didn't do the small things well".

In other words, Uganda needed clinical execution to have a chance of winning and when Pius Ogena broke the deadlock on nine minutes following a 50-yard slalom, the mammoth crowd might have begun dreaming.

But Namibia's crème did not take long to rise and by halftime, the visitors were up 21-12. Uganda's second try had come from the relentless Phillip Wokorach, with Chris Lubanga nailing the subsequent conversion.

The second half was just more of the same, with every Ugandan action eliciting a more forceful reaction. Namibia were evidently superior although Cranes coach Duncan rejected the notion they schooled his players.

"Look, you can always learn something from anyone," Duncan explained. "I don't think they did one special thing that we should learn from them"

Duncan added, "There is no use dwelling on spilt milk. We are moving forward".

Cranes' Marvin Odongo was man of match while Wokorach, Eric Kasiita and Joseph Aredo kept the score respectable with second half tries for Uganda.