Rugby Cranes lift Elgon Cup despite Kenya lossBy ISMAIL DHAKABA KIGONGO | Monday, April 30   2012 at  14:27

Rugby Cranes players applaud the crowd after beating Kenya in the Elgon Cup first leg at Kyadondo. The Ugandan side lost the second leg 12-0 to Kenya but still lifted the Elgon Cup on aggregate. DAILY MONITOR | EDDIE CHICCO  

Knowing the margins of failure in the annual Elgon Cup are never big in recent times, Rugby Cranes know every point counts. It’s almost unthinkable that they could miss four penalties against Kenya on Saturday and still reclaim the trophy for the first time in six years.

With the exception of 2010 when Kenya strolled to a 54-30 winning aggregate, the other margins have been within three points since the two-event contest became two-legged in 2006.

Unlike most of the other self-inflicted narrow failures, the horrible weather conditions in Nairobi favoured neither side as Kenya won the second leg 12-0.

Those tries from Lawrence Buyachi and Tony Onyango, scored inside the first eight minutes of the second half, almost broke the camel’s back.

Uganda laid out their stall to defend the 19-5 first leg advantage.

“This is the hardest game of my rugby career. We defended very well. The boys really had heart for the country,” Rugby Cranes’ centre Michael Wokorach said.

The war is done but the battle is now to clinch the Victoria Cup involving Zimbabwe and then eventually the Africa Cup.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan women beat Uganda 15-3 to win the Migingo Cup 21-18 on aggregate.

The Kenyan ladies’ party was, however, spoilt by news that their captain Abeden Shikhoyi had passed on few hours after the game.

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