Uganda loses to Japan, hopes for a miracle

PIC: Solomon Okia is tackled by Japanese players during the last group game played on Saturday morning. (Credit: URU/JOSEPH ANTHONY)

2018 WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES QUALIFIERS

Japan 24 - 10 Uganda

HONG KONG - Unless they play like they have never played before, the Uganda Rugby Cranes' hopes of qualifying for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series ended this morning with a shocking loss to Japan.

To progress any further, the Ugandans have to beat a determined and polished German side that has not lost a single match the whole weekend.

"We made several mistakes, and then the game just run away from us," Coach Tolbert Onyango said after the game. "And then came the yellow card and it was difficult to come back after that. But we still have a chance, let us wait for the rankings and we take it from there."

The Japanese, that had lost to Chile in the last game played yesterday, came determined not to make the same mistake, and they took it to the Ugandans right from the first kick off.

The Ugandans seemed not to be able to catch the ball, could not pass or made tackles and gave away the simplest of line-outs.

For a time, it seemed like they could make something out of a bad situation, after unconverted tries from Lawrence Ssebuliba and Phillip Wokorach. But then, captain Michael Okorach got a yellow card for a bad tackle, and it all went south from there.

The Japanese piled on the pressure and the Rugby Cranes simply crumpled. Now they face the daunting task of having to beat the Germans that have not put a foot wrong in the first quarter final of the qualifiers. It is still possible, but Tolbert's boys have their work cut out to prevent their dreams of joining the big boys end this afternoon.