Barthes Cup: Is Uganda ready for the performance division?

Uganda gained promotion to the performance division of the Barthes Cup after defeating Zambia twice on aggregate, but are they ready for the leap?

The U20 Cranes put on a stellar performance against Zambia in the first leg of their encounter, winning 81-00, but Zambia came back stronger in the return leg and even scored the first try of the game, but lost 27-12, ultimately falling short on aggregate, 108-12.

With qualification secured, Uganda played their third game of the Barthes Cup, losing 53-32 against Zimbabwe in the trial game.

Uganda was immediately stunned by Zimbabwe, who were better prepared and conditioned to play at that level of competition. Daniel Musyoka’s penalties were not enough for the junior Cranes as the junior Sables kept on raining in tries for fun. The Ugandans, however, came back from the halftime break looking like a different side and registered their first try through winger Joshua Magali Lamot.    

However, Uganda’s defence kept on leaking in more tries despite the improvement. On attack, however, the Cranes were more lethal, outscoring their Southern Africa counterparts. Tries from substitutes Allan Titus Nyonyintono and Gideon Kisangala, in addition to Lamot’s second try, showed what the Cranes can do with possession, a positive to note for coach Martial Tchumkan and his technical staff.

So, are the U20 Uganda Rugby Cranes ready for the big stage that is the Barthes Cup performance division? The short answer now is a big no. The Cranes looked severely underprepared for this tournament, and that is by no fault of their own. Despite knowing early enough that Uganda would be hosting the Barthes Cup, circumstances under the control of Uganda Rugby and the coaching team wouldn’t allow for proper preparation.

The biggest chunk of the team is composed of youngsters who are still in secondary school, and as the term is still running, these players were not readily available to train with their colleagues who are junior players at club level. Often vans from Namilyango College or Kings College Budo would be seen ferrying players to the training facilities to join the rest of the training squad. Additionally, the players who are at club level are not exactly starters for their teams, save for Sylvester Munguacel, who has pinned down his position at Heathens. 

This very problem presents an opportunity for the coaches as they have a relatively very young squad to work with going forward. Players like Lamot, Nyonyintono and Sharif Tibo have played a few club games and could be the leaders of the next cohort, while their colleagues like Abraham Mujuni and Ambrose Ssebalijja will have a major role to play in the Barthes Cup Class of 2027.