Heathens RFC emerged victorious over their perennial rivals KOBs with a scoreline of 29-18 in the opening encounter of the Nile Special Rugby Championship semifinals, held at Legends Rugby Ground last Saturday.
The standout performance came from utility back Malcom Okello, whose flawless kicking game contributed 15 crucial points before he further propelled his team with two converted tries, securing the win for Heathens and placing them within reach of the finals.
The match kicked off with an early missed opportunity by Joseph Aredo for KOBs, swiftly countered by Okello’s successful attempt, putting Heathens on the scoreboard. Soon after, KOBs were compelled into an early substitution due to an injury to Cornrad Mukwaya, with Josiah Ssempeke taking over the kicking duties and managing to convert a penalty. However, Okello swiftly reasserted Heathens’ lead, maintaining their advantage going into halftime.
In the second half, KOBs made strategic changes to their lineup, with Mike Otto replacing Robert Aziku in the second row. Meanwhile, Heathens faced a temporary setback when Morgan Odoch was sin-binned, reducing them to 14 men. Nonetheless, Malcom Okello continued to dominate, extending Heathens’ lead before a pivotal substitution saw Tony Okello taking the field, ultimately setting up Michael Wokorach for Heathens’ first try.
Despite KOBs’ efforts to narrow the gap, including successful penalty conversions by Ssempeke, Heathens maintained their momentum, culminating in a try by Incocent Goktho. Although KOBs managed to secure a late try through Derrick Tukwasibwe, their missed conversion attempts compounded their challenges.
As the teams head to Kyandondo for the return leg, KOBs face an uphill battle to overturn the substantial deficit and secure a spot in the finals.
