The Lady Rugby Cranes 7s got off to a nervy start in their first game of the Safari 7s.
In the opening stages of the first half, strong carries from Lydia Namabiro and Yvonne Najjuma put the Ugandans beyond the Belgian defence, but it was Agnes Nakuya who came closest.
The Cranes skipper made valuable post-contact meters, but was stopped in her tracks as soon as she reached within 5 meters of the Belgian try line. The ball was soon turned over by the Belgians, who swiftly turned defence into offence, to score their first try in the left corner.
Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for the Lady Cranes to regroup, as they conceded another unconverted try before the break.
In the second half, the Lady Cranes came back rejuvenated and hungry to turn the affairs around. Sandra Lona Amoli sliced through the Belgian defence to spring for the center posts, scoring and giving the kicker, Grace Nabaggala, an easier shot at goal. The conversion was good, bringing the score to 10-07 in favour of the Belgians.
The Cranes went on the attack once again, with the introduction of Fazira Namukwaya, who injected new energy into the Ugandans. The Cranes were awarded a penalty, while the Belgians got a player sent to the sin bin for tackling from an offside position.
The Cranes elected to call a scrum off that penalty, recycled possession well and the ball ended up in Amoli’s hands once again, who scored in the right corner. This time Nabaggala wasn’t able to convert, but the try was just enough to hand the Cranes their first win in the Safari 7s.
After the full-time hooter had gone, the limelight was once again on Amoli, who kicked the ball into touch to seal the victory for the Ugandans.
The Lady Cranes now turn their attention to Tunisia and the Kenya Lionesses, whom they play on Day 2 of the Safari 7s.