Philip Wokorach (right) made one of the ties of the season against EzeeMoney Rhinos. Photo by Eddie Chicco
The Nile Special Rugby Premiership run its course yesterday with the blue riband fixture between new champions Betway Kobs and Hima Heathens the undisputed ‘headliner’. The match had been expected to assume the role of kingmaker — at least that’s what this column proffered — but events took an unanticipated turn after Heathens shared the spoils with Pirates in the first round before losing at home to a plucky Sadolin Mongers outfit a fortnight ago.
On its part, Kobs used a masterclass in passive aggression to reach the dozen mark for league titles won. Yesterday, the club was hoping to go unbeaten for the entirety of a league campaign for only the fourth time following a similar feat in 1997, 2006, and 2014.
Heathens players and their faithful made it crystal clear that nothing would be more rewarding than taking away the old foe’s undefeated record. Indeed, victory could easily be an emblem that, in a dark league campaign, gleams like the future. With Heathens keen on pouring ink on the ‘undefeated script’ and Kobs not willing to let its guard down, there clearly was no shortage of ingredients for an explosive tie yesterday.
The reverse fixture between the two sworn enemies at Legends Club portrayed an ugly dynamic between players and referees. This was a season in which simmering resent-ment of referees was brought to a boil of accusatory rhetoric. Heathens veteran hooker Alex Mubiru dropped a lit match in the powder keg when he gave assistant referee Charles Mungoma a tongue lashing for chalking off Phillip Wokorach’s last-gasp try that would have seen Heathens vanquish Kobs.
It was neither the first nor last public spat between players and referees. That also was-n’t the only Wokorach try to be struck down. The Heathens fullback saw his try tally shrink from 19 to 12 after Gulu Elephants were suspended for failing to honour more than two league matches in succession. This did little to dim the brilliance of Wokorach who remarkably is in line to make his 15s bow at Test level. All sorts of superlatives can be used to capture the sheer beauty of his try against EzeeMoney Rhinos when he jinked his way through the full length of the Legends pitch. The try was easily the best of the season until Joseph Aredo’s boot found the lanky frame of Michael Amollo by the corner flag during Kobs’ first half annihilation of Buffaloes last weekend.
While their feats can hardly be described as fleeting, this season didn’t preserve much of the backs’ potency. Forwards-oriented play resonated all the more and surprisingly registered its dominance on the tries chart. Going into yesterday’s final matchday, Asuman Mugerwa led the way with 14.
On account of his performance in the reverse fixture, you certainly wouldn’t put it past Mugerwa to have crossed the white chalk yes-terday. If he did, not only will his legend grow that bit more, but he will have continued that unrelenting push for more than just a bit-part role with the national 15s team this year.
Mugerwa is something of an oddity. Whereas the loosehead has proved devastating in open play, his failure to master the dark arts that make front row players unsung heroes has not endeared him to some. Mugerwa is of course not the first high-scoring prop to grace Ugandan rugby. In 2000, Fred Mudoola wound up with 10 tries in the league for Kobs. An exceptionally good place-kicker, yes place-kicker, Mudoola raked 185 points (51 conversions, 11 penalties and 10 tries) that season but never at one time did he for-get his primary duties (like scrummaging). This is why he started all games for Rugby Cranes when fit until 2007 when he called time on his playing career. Mugerwa would do well borrowing a leaf or two.
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