The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
Uganda…………….. (12) 26
Zimbabwe…………..(19) 31
ON-FIRE Zimbabwe Sables powered to their second victory when they held off a late comeback by hosts Uganda in a Victoria Cup rugby encounter at Kyadondo Sports Club in Kampala yesterday. The Cranes looked like they were headed for a massive defeat after the visitors scored three quick-fire tries in the opening stages of the game but some methodical build-ups by the East Africans set the stage for a nervy finish by Zimbabwe.
Tries from Takudzwa Kamadiro with a brace, debutant Aiden Burnett, Matthew McNab and Shayne Makombe set the tone for Zimbabwe’s bonus point win.
Stand in captain Hilton Mudariki weighed in with 11 points from his boot. The Sables had the brightest of starts, catching their opponents napping and putting down three quick and unanswered tries inside the first eight minutes.
Winger Kamadiro got the ball rolling as early as the first minute when he touched down the first of his brace of tries.
Burnett then made full use of Zimbabwe’s impressive start with another, before Kamadiro added his second of the game.
Unlike after the first try, skipper Mudariki, taking up the kicking duties for the day, converted both tries to give the Sables a 19-0 lead after just eight minutes.
As vice-captain Biselele Tshamala observed, the early lead seemed to have bred an element of complacency for the Sables and they allowed their hosts to claw their way back into contention.
“I think we were quick off the blocks and we allowed them back to their levels because of some complacency. But the good thing is that we still managed to stick together as a unit until the end,’’ Tshamala said.
Stung by the early tries, the home side began their slow fight back from the set pieces with the boot.
The boot of fullback Philip Wokorach was instrumental in the Cranes’ come back as he converted four straight penalties to leave them within touching distance of Zimbabwe at the breather.
At this point in time, Zimbabwe held on to a slender 12-19 lead.
The game then turned on its head early in the second half when Uganda drew after getting their first try courtesy of Desire Ayera, which Wokorach duly converted again.
Fortunately, Zimbabwe had enough steel to hold on to and they stretched their lead via a try by McNab and another converted one by Shayne Makombe.
Those two efforts later on ensured that Ayera’s second try of the game only served to ensure the game’s nervy end.
