The 2010 Elgon Cup rolls off
UGANDA starts another bid for the Elgon Cup they last won in 2006 when they host Kenya today in the first of 2 legs.Uganda unfortunately has not had a good record at the Elgon Cup only winning it once since it’s inception in 2004.
IN THE RUCK
Peter Ofong
UGANDA starts another bid for the Elgon Cup they last won in 2006 when they host Kenya today in the first of 2 legs.Uganda unfortunately has not had a good record at the Elgon Cup only winning it once since it’s inception in 2004.
The fierce rivalry between both countries has continued with Uganda exerting her supremacy in bigger competitions like CAR and the World Cup qualifiers while Kenya have stayed dominant in the Elgon Cup.
The Rugby Cranes have never lost to Kenya at home since 2005. They have always carried big first leg wins only to succumb in disastrous fashion away from home.
After all the well documented chaos last year, a hastily assembled young Rugby Cranes team could not win the Elgon Cup but showed a heart beat defeating what was deemed a star studded Kenya team with all their IRB 7’s stars.
On the contrary this writer does not understand what the hullabaloo was all about as a 7 side rugby and 15 aside rugby are worlds apart, the latter being real rugby.
URU Chairman confident
URU chairman William Blick while hosting the Sables to a dinner a fort night ago reminded the audience Uganda are former CAR champions and not only is the Victoria and Elgon Cup our immediate target, winning all our away games and reclaiming the CAR Cup is the ultimate target this year.
Blick has reason to be optimistic. There is something different about the team this year that indicates they have put the past behind them and are looking like a side with new found self belief, confidence and purpose.
The URU Technical committee have managed to have the team train and prepare together a month before the first international something unheard of in the past.
Resurgent Rugby Cranes
This must be one of Uganda’s best squads ever since the 2007 CAR Cup. There is a good mix of youth, experience and skill. Uganda’s experience and depth in the forwards give them an immediate edge over Kenya but it appears this has been taken for granted as evidenced in the win over Zimbabwe.
The visitors surprisingly won the battle at the set pieces line outs, scrum downs and the ruck phases. No doubt these are areas coach Ham Onsando would have rectified in training whilst fine tuning the offence and defense patterns.
Uganda go into this first leg as definite favourites but will be wary of their poor away record and will look to maximize the home advantage.
Away in Nairobi next week an all out attack should be the only option, any attempt to protect a first leg lead like yester years would be disastrous.
Peter Ofong
UGANDA starts another bid for the Elgon Cup they last won in 2006 when they host Kenya today in the first of 2 legs.Uganda unfortunately has not had a good record at the Elgon Cup only winning it once since it’s inception in 2004.
The fierce rivalry between both countries has continued with Uganda exerting her supremacy in bigger competitions like CAR and the World Cup qualifiers while Kenya have stayed dominant in the Elgon Cup.
The Rugby Cranes have never lost to Kenya at home since 2005. They have always carried big first leg wins only to succumb in disastrous fashion away from home.
After all the well documented chaos last year, a hastily assembled young Rugby Cranes team could not win the Elgon Cup but showed a heart beat defeating what was deemed a star studded Kenya team with all their IRB 7’s stars.
On the contrary this writer does not understand what the hullabaloo was all about as a 7 side rugby and 15 aside rugby are worlds apart, the latter being real rugby.
URU Chairman confident
URU chairman William Blick while hosting the Sables to a dinner a fort night ago reminded the audience Uganda are former CAR champions and not only is the Victoria and Elgon Cup our immediate target, winning all our away games and reclaiming the CAR Cup is the ultimate target this year.
Blick has reason to be optimistic. There is something different about the team this year that indicates they have put the past behind them and are looking like a side with new found self belief, confidence and purpose.
The URU Technical committee have managed to have the team train and prepare together a month before the first international something unheard of in the past.
Resurgent Rugby Cranes
This must be one of Uganda’s best squads ever since the 2007 CAR Cup. There is a good mix of youth, experience and skill. Uganda’s experience and depth in the forwards give them an immediate edge over Kenya but it appears this has been taken for granted as evidenced in the win over Zimbabwe.
The visitors surprisingly won the battle at the set pieces line outs, scrum downs and the ruck phases. No doubt these are areas coach Ham Onsando would have rectified in training whilst fine tuning the offence and defense patterns.
Uganda go into this first leg as definite favourites but will be wary of their poor away record and will look to maximize the home advantage.
Away in Nairobi next week an all out attack should be the only option, any attempt to protect a first leg lead like yester years would be disastrous.