Uganda Cup: Impis survive Hippos scare, advance to quarterfinals

Impis RFC defeated Hippos RFC 32-27 thanks to an 80th-minute try from outside back Derrick Tumukunde.

The Makerere side trailed for most of the game, and that came down to how the Jinja Hippos started the game. Fritz-Gerald Omole crossed the whitewash first for the home team, with the veteran Maxwell Ebonga adding the extra two points.

Impis then immediately responded with a try, courtesy of cheeky play from scrumhalf Travor Kabanda, who exploited a small opening on the fringe of the ruck in the Hippos’ 5-meter zone.

The Hippos came with a clear game plan that worked for most of the game. The halfback pairing of Aziz Bagalana and John Echeru kept Impis’ outside backs on their feet with tactical and territorial kicks in behind the line of defence. The chase after the kick by players like Hassan Gidudu was as good as the kick, forcing Impis into handling errors and playing in their own territory.

Before the end of the first half, the Hippos continued to assert themselves not only on the scoreboard through Gidudu and Ebonga, but also in the physical battles. Despite the Impis appearing heavier in stature than their opponents, they were not able to dominate the contact areas and scrums in the first half. In the whole game, Impis were forced into 3 substitutions due to injury, something that will give their coaches a lot to think about.

In the second half, Impis finally used their physical advantage to get over the line through a rolling maul try scored by prop Kyle Atuhaire. For the first time in the game, Impis were on the front foot, scoring a penalty kick through Edgar Akimanzi, but Ebonga responded with a long-range kick to level the scores.

Impis kept pressing and forced Echeru into a poor clearance kick that went straight to the hands of Darren Aine, who beat 3 defenders to score in the corner and give Impis a 5-point lead.

Second-half substitute Jeff Msasa gave Hippos the lead once again when his carry found lazy defending on Impis’ end, pumping from the 22-metre mark, all the way to the try line. Eventual MVP Ebonga was once again accurate off the boot for Hippos on the conversion.

In the dying minutes of the game, Impis snatched victory from the jaws of defeat through Tumukunde’s try and Akimanzi’s conversion to end the game 32-27.

In the quarterfinal, Impis will make a short trip across town to Kyadondo Rugby Club to face a Buffaloes RFC side that won their Round of 16 game 65-00 against the Kitgum Lions.

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