That was rugby heritage! Two sides with utmost respect for each other met in a fixture that has now been dubbed the Graveyard Derby with Impis triumphing over Rams in a close 16-12 landlord-tenant affair.
The lads in green dominated all the scrums but one, where they conceded a penalty. Despite being the lighter pack, the Rams managed to hold their own, with 8th man Brian Wandera picking the ball from the base of the scrum in a split second.
In open play, the Rams employed their tried and tested holding up the ball carrier tactic to force the turnover which was largely effective against an inexperienced Impis side.
Kicking
The designated kicker for the Rams, Ryan Jjuuko was largely on target, slotting in all 12 points whereas his counterparts struggled to find touch.
On the other hand, Darren Aine managed 11 points off the boot, including 3 penalties and 1 conversion after a Hisham Kabanda try. Scrumhalf Matthew Musasizi also had a cameo, missing both his penalty and drop goal attempts.
Hossana Opilleni had a day to forget, fluffing a drop goal attempt from 50 meters, and failing to effectively exit dangerous territories, forcing the Rams to play most of the game on the backfoot. With ball in hand though, he orchestrated most of the attack, with the Rams backline putting on a better show than their direct opposite numbers.
In the dying minutes of the game when the Rams were only four points behind, they applied immense pressure, camping in the Impis 22 for over ten minutes, but unfortunately coming away with nothing.
The line out question not yet answered
Desmond Uwimana and Nasar Opiyo for the Impis, and Mahad Kasumba, Bakari Muhoozi and Reagan Mungu for the Rams were tasked with throwing at the line out, with very many balls not going straight through the tunnel. Miscommunication with the jumpers and closing the tunnel was also an issue on both ends, as Ugandan rugby fans still wait to see a proper line out set piece execution across the board.
This was the first and surely not the last Graveyard Derby of 2025. These two sides are far ahead of the pack in the Central Uganda Championship and are likely to meet again in the playoff phase of the season before heading into the national promotional play-off.