When the Nile Special Rugby Premiership returns this Saturday, April 18, following a two-week hiatus, it is the Kakira Simbas that will have the privilege of being the first team to face one of the 2026 Enterprise Cup finalists.
The Stanbic Black Pirates are that team, who booked a date with Kenya’s Kabras Sugar for the Enterprise Cup honours. It will be the first time that Pirates are playing at such a stage, an experience, by association, Kakira can equally get a test of at the King’s Park arena in Bweyogerere, this weekend.
Considering that the last time Ugandan clubs participated in the Enterprise Cup before this year, had been in 1999 (Pirates were barely two years old), they have pulled off such a feat, which is a mark of how they are coming of age.
Pirates coach, Marvin Odongo noted: “I do not think we have defended as well as we have before. But the Enterprise Cup has seen us showcase that dogged determination to defend well. Our two games against KCB Rugby and Nondescripts have tested us defensively, and I believe we have shown the best of ourselves. But even more importantly, in rugby, it is intermittently said that great defence wins Cups, which we have exhibited.”
Such displays are what Odongo would like to see from his charges going forward. The fact that in games where they were less fancied, Pirates proved to be outstanding, Odongo sees no reason why they cannot continue on the same note in the league.
Incidentally, in the league, Pirates’ defending has been below the standards that Odongo expects of his charges. This has largely been attributed to ball mismanagement, but also breaking the rules of the game, and missed tackles.
For example, Pirates conceded 30 points against Heathens, 17 points against Buffaloes, and also let 24 points against Kobs. This was not a good reflection of the league’s defending champions.
Yet, as the league returns, Pirates find themselves in second spot on the log, although Odongo emphasized the need to make sure that they reclaim top spot by the end of the regular season in May. “The Enterprise Cup has taught us how to always keep our wits up.
But even when we were on the back-foot, we found a way to avoid big mistakes that would have cost us. That is what we must show in the remaining league games, in order for us to get good seeding and match-ups in the knock-out stages,” Odongo said.
Notably, because of Pirates tough tackling in the Enterprise Cup, a fact documented by their approach of normally using two players to tackle one big Kenyan opponent, they have proved impregnable.
At the same time, even at the breakdown, Pirates did not give away many penalties, either for not quickly rolling away after tackling an opponent, or when they were the ones in possession, not presenting the ball quickly enough.
Usually, that happens when a team with the ball goes to the ground following a tackle, but does not get the quick support from his teammates to ruck fast, and keep the opponent away from forcing a turnover. But maybe, because Pirates went into the Enterprise Cup as underdogs, it played in their favour, approaching the game with a siege mentality.
Odongo acknowledges that he has addressed it to his players on several occasions that complacency in the past league games has been their undoing; they must eliminate it. That said, the fact that Pirates played without key players: Isaac Massanganzira and Elifaz Emong, was proof of their strength in depth, which has given them lasting power on all fronts so far.
Those two have been cogs in the team’s defence. However, while Pirates have done exceptionally well on defence, the Enterprise Cup exposed their lack of efficiency in attack, both against KCB and Nondies.
Against the Nondies, in the first 15 minutes of the second half, a period within which Pirates were on top of matters, they fluffed three great chances in the 22. The knock-ons denied them at least three tries, which would have seen Pirates win the game at a canter, and not have their fans experience unbearable palpitations in the final stages of the game.
Although Odongo would not agree more, suggesting that they must always ensure they get something each time they reach the green zone, for them to win more trophies, he joked that those pressure moments were Pirates’ way of showing love to their fans, because such memories will remain unforgettable to them!
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