The Makerere Impis shall be looking to come back with a bang when they host the Warriors after regaining promotion to the Rugby Premiership.
Neither side is a stranger to the relegation scrap, but it has always been the Warriors who have come out on top in their encounters. In the last timeout, the Impis weren’t so lucky in that bottom-four playoff, drawing with the Eagles at Kitante, then entirely crumbling at home.
This fixture comes just in time for either side to get an early sigh of relief and collect valuable points for the Top 8. Realistically, the trophy is off the table, with survival first and stability next being the most logical course of action. This must-win game for either side leaves only a handful of other encounters where they can collect points in the grand scheme of things.
The Warriors are rich with experience within their ranks, with the Aredo brothers, Erasmus and Gabriel, still being a core part of the club. Other seasoned campaigners like Hamza Kinyai, Henry Musisi and Impis great Stallone Arinaitwe, are also still available for selection, while youngsters like Ivan Longa can also cause trouble for the Makerere side.
For Impis, the league experience of Henry Nsekuye shall play a major part, but we can’t discard the contribution of the younger players who are growing with the club. For context, Impis’ captain on the day is debutant Clarence Muhumuza, alongside 6 other newcomers.
The game shall be played at the Makerere Rugby Grounds, The Graveyard, at 4 PM this Saturday, with an earlier warm-up game between the iNtangas (Impis II) and the Rams, setting the tone for the day.