In a deliberate move to reinforce their forwards pack, the Victoria Sharks have brought in Allan Olango, Willard Mungati and Arthur Mpande.
Olango and Mungati come in with new strength to reinvigorate a Sharks pack that seemed to run out of ideas during the second half of games. There was always a huge disparity between the starters and finishers, leading to a failure to close out games.
For context, the experienced Saul Kivumbi and Wilobo Mukili had replacements like Vincent Sworo and Peter Bisaso, who are decent players but are not yet at a championship-winning level. Mungati comes in to bridge that gap, providing better cover to the starters or simply setting the pace for the finishers.
Although the Victoria Sharks are not short of loose-forwards, the addition of Olango brings a new dimension to their attack. He is fast, a big ball carrier and knows where the try line is from 22 meters away. He is a long-term investment, not just for the 15s, but for the 7s season as well.
Mpande brings stability to the Shark tank. A seasoned lock who has played alongside the aforementioned Kivumbi and Mukili, his addition is simply a reunion with old mates with whom he has won trophies at KOBs. His experience, and that of Charles Uhuru, coupled with the youthful energy of David Awan, provides assurance in the second row, especially during the set pieces.
Additionally, there is a silent ‘signing’ amongst the Sharks’ forwards pack. Syrus Wathum, who has been on the coaching bench for the Sharks, is now ready to return to action. Hooking hasn’t been an issue for the Sharks, with Daniel Ebau and his understudy Dylan Ssewankambo putting up a commendable shift in the Sharks’ maiden top-flight season.