Heathens sealed the Rugby Premeirship Top 4 spot when they defeated Walukuba at Kyadondo, but they still have the opportunity to go 3rd at the end of the regular season.
When the Heathens travel to Entebbe to play Mongers on Saturday, they will go with one thing at the back of their minds: to pick up a bonus point win.
After that high-pressure game against Walukuba, Heathens should be ready for another high-pressure game against Mongers, this time on a much smaller playing ground. Heathens struggled to beat Walukuba’s quick press and rush defence, something coach Tolbert Onyango said his boys managed to adjust to and recover in the game.
The Mongers play a similar game, where they tend to apply pressure, especially on the scrumhalf and flyhalf, resulting in forced errors or lost metres. In their previous games, specifically against the Buffaloes and KOBs, the Mongers have struggled to show up in the second half despite displaying good offensive and defensive rugby in the first half.
This Mongers’ inconsistency across the halves is something that the Heathens shall hope to capitalise on, given the options within their starting line-up and the bench. Against Walukuba, the Heathens introduced Brian Simiyu and Walter Otim, who combined to assist Malcom Okello’s game-winning try.
Coach Onyango noted that his squad selections have been a tactical move to assess his squad.
“We need to give a couple of players some rest time, and we need to give more players some playing time. We need to give all the players an opportunity to show what they have, as we prepare ourselves to pick the best when it comes to the playoffs,” he says.
On the other hand, Heathens have been hit with injuries, forcing the coaches to make some changes. Most notable of these changes has been at the scrumhalf position, where understudy Marvin Asaba started their last game.
“Unfortunately, [Nicholas] Kato picked up an injury last week, but I’m sure he’s going to be able to shake it off. Matthew [Musasizi] is back in training, and we are hoping to see him back next month or so. For the meantime, we have to make sure that we are producing more No. 9s, so for now it is Sulaiman Ngobi and Asaba who are going to play No. 9,” Onyango told Kawowo Sports.
Mongers are still unbeaten at home, winning with small margins against teams like Impis, and most recently the Victoria Sharks, thanks to a 50-meter Shakim Ssembusi penalty. Onyango is aware of this and he has prepared his charges accordingly.
“Mongers in Entebbe are going to be interesting; they have been very strong at home. There is a lot of work for us to do, so we are going to go in there knowing that they are a solid side and anything can happen if we do not put our front foot forward,” he notes.