URN.Australia’s Captain Nick Malouf started with a bang as he collected a loose ball to race away and open the scoring in a Group D match at the Coventry Stadium in Birmingham. But Desire Ayera gave Uganda a 7-5 lead at the break.
After losing to rivals Kenya in their opening match, Uganda Rugby Cranes 7s team put up a good show on Friday night to hold giants Australia to a 12-12 draw at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Australia’s Captain Nick Malouf started with a bang as he collected a loose ball to race away and open the scoring in a Group D match at the Coventry Stadium in Birmingham. But Desire Ayera gave Uganda a 7-5 lead at the break.
In the second half Henry Hutchison picked another try as Australia regained the lead. However, two late yellow cards to Maurice Longbottom and Dietrich Roache brought Uganda back to action. As they were counting only five players on the pitch.
Philip Wokorach with two minutes to go leveled it up for Uganda, before Micheal Wokorach missed a kick which would have given Uganda a victory.
To command a respectable draw against Australia, Uganda was recovering from a stressful opener that saw them losing 27-14 to neighbors Kenya. It was a more frustrating moment for Coach Tolbert Onyango’s side. Uganda Rugby Cranes has never made it out of the pool since 2006 when they first qualified for the Games.
Boxing
In boxing, the national team (Bombers) captain, Joshua Tukamuhebwa was in good form with a deserving victory against Ireland’s John Paul Hale in the light welterweight category at National Exhibition Center (NEC).
Although Hale was fancied to have a good performance in the Games, he was not able to match Tukamuhebwa’s brilliance and speed. Tukamuhebwa’s win on Friday sees him qualify to the round of 16.
On his debut at the Commonwealth Games, standing in the red corner did not have a quick reaction in the first round of the bout. He however returned in the last two rounds, boosted and produced an outstanding performance throwing heavy punches that hurt his opponent to win 3-2.
After winning on his debut, the 22-year-old Tukamuhebwa said that he will keep working hard in the other fights to come. He further explained that he did not have a good first round because he failed to read his opponent early enough, but after the break he capitalized on the opponents’ mistakes and came back stronger.
