Pirates Stage Stunning Comeback to Edge Heathens in Thrilling Clash
In what was expected to be a blockbuster top-of-the-table showdown, Stanbic Black Pirates and Platinum Credit Heathens—the last two Uganda Rugby Premiership champions—clashed at Kings Park on Saturday evening. However, the match turned out to be a tale of errors, missed tackles, and a high penalty count, far from the high standards anticipated in a fixture between two of Uganda’s rugby giants.
Despite the scrappy play, the game delivered drama as Pirates mounted a sensational comeback from a 31-09 deficit in the final quarter to snatch a thrilling 33-31 victory.
First Half: Heathens Dominate Early
The visitors started stronger and had control for the first 60 minutes, capitalizing on Pirates’ unforced errors. Silver Munguachel, Joseph Oyet, and Aaron Ofoyrwoth crossed the whitewash for Heathens, with only one conversion successfully kicked by Ofoyrwoth.
Meanwhile, Pirates’ only response in the opening half came from the boot of Nkore, who slotted in three penalties. At halftime, Heathens led 17-09.
Second Half: Pirates Fight Back in Dramatic Fashion
Heathens extended their dominance after the break, with Claude Otema bagging a brace of tries, both converted by Ofoyrwoth, pushing the score to 31-09 with just 20 minutes left to play.
At that moment, the match seemed all but over. However, Pirates had other plans.
The hosts launched a spectacular resurgence, led by Desire Ayera and Nathan Bwambale, who each scored a brace to claw back into the contest. Nkore’s accurate boot added three successful conversions, sealing a dramatic turnaround as Pirates completed the 33-31 comeback victory.
Post-Match Reactions: Coaches Acknowledge Luck Played a Role
Both coaches admitted the match had an element of luck in deciding the winner.
Pirates’ head coach Marvin Odongo was far from pleased with his side’s performance despite the victory:
“It was a very bad game from us. Heathens must have scored four tries out of nothing, scoring against the run of play. When you let such things happen to you, we’re lucky to get out today with the win. I’m not at all happy with our performance.”
On the other hand, Heathens’ tactician Mohammed Athiyo acknowledged how both teams capitalized on each other’s mistakes:
“All we did was stick to our game structure. Fine, we were lucky that we capitalized on Pirates’ mistakes in the first half, but equally, they capitalized on ours in the second half. So, you could say it was a rugby game of two halves.”
Pirates Take Top Spot as Heathens Slip
The last-gasp victory saw Pirates climb to the top of the standings, while Heathens dropped to third place, marking the end of their winning streak over Pirates since the 2023 season.
Full Round Five Results:
- Victoria Sharks 16-33 KCB KOBs
- Elgon Wolves 10-29 Jinja Hippos
- Stanbic Black Pirates 33-31 Platinum Credit Heathens
- Toyota Buffaloes 21-19 Kampani Eagles
- Walukuba Barbarians 47-30 Plascon Mongers
- Warriors 20-21 Rhinos
Both Pirates and Heathens face equally tough fixtures in the next round. Pirates will visit KOBs at Legends, while Heathens travel to Jinja to take on Hippos.
This season’s title race is heating up, and if this dramatic encounter was anything to go by, the best is yet to come.