Walukuba Barbarians have fumbled a first-half lead and dropped points in the 2025 men’s Uganda Rugby Premiership for the second successive week. Last Saturday at Kyadondo, Buffaloes came from 12-00 down to force a draw and this Saturday, Hippos recovered from 15-11 to claim the Jinja Derby by 39-25 points.
It was part Walukuba getting the foot off the gas in the second half and part Hippos asserting their authority over them in a fierce encounter at Damwaters Rugby Club.
“I mean, are you not entertained? It’s now become a derby. Before, it was one-sided but you can now see how much it can fall on either side,” an elated Hippos head coach Edmond Quaresma said to Kawowo Sports after fulltime.
Hippos and Walukuba traded points for up to seventy minutes. Rahim Kaziba & Brighton Bakasa scored a try each and Yasin Wasswa kicked two penalties & a conversion for the hosts. the hosts also received a penalty try. For the visitors, Marvin Sserugo, Shakim Ssembusi & Ivan Bulima scored a try apiece and Gift Wokorach (two conversions & penalty) & Shakim Ssembusi (penalty) kicked the points.
It was tied at 25-all at that point. Then in the last ten minutes of play, Walukuba were a no-show on the pitch. Hippos tore them apart and scored two tries through David Wako and Wasswa. Both tries were converted easily by Wasswa.
“We played sixty-five minutes out of the eighty. That’s what I can tell you,” the crestfallen Walukuba Barbarians head coach Leonard Lubambula said in summary.
“We had the game in check but the last fifteen minutes. pathetic turnovers, easy tries for the Hippos not worked a lot for. They applied the pressure which was good on their side and they have won the game.”
Quaresma opined that a “little twitch” in which battles Hippos picked against Walukuba got them over the line in the closing moments of the match.
“The boys were not playing to their strengths but when we realised what our strength was, we gave them what we could and that’s how we won it.”
Consequently, Hippos stayed unbeaten in the Premiership and maintained their six-year dominance over Walukuba in the Jinja Derby. Walukuba dropped further into the Relegation places as they continue soul searching.
