Jinja Hippos staged a spirited performance to edge out KOBs 27-22 in the second leg of the Uganda Rugby Premiership playoff semifinals, winning 49-47 on aggregate to book their place in the grand final.
Having lost 25-22 to KOBs in the first leg at Dam Waters, the Hippos needed a strong response and they delivered under pressure at the Legends Rugby Grounds.
HIPPOS BRIGHT START
The visitors started brightly, taking an early 7-0 lead when Aziz Bagalana crashed over off a rolling maul, with the conversion successfully slotted. Yassin Wasswa then extended the advantage to 10-0 with a penalty before KOBs responded, Ian Munyani touching down and adding a conversion to bring it back to 7-10.
Wasswa kept the scoreboard ticking for the Hippos with another penalty to make it 13-7 by halftime.
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After the break, Wasswa again punished KOBs from the boot, stretching the Hippos’ lead to 16-7, before a drop goal made it 19-7. However, KOBs refused to fold. Mark Osuna dotted down for an unconverted try to close the gap to 19-12, followed by a penalty from Josiah Ssempeke that made it 19-15, setting up a tense final quarter.
KOBs’ pressure eventually paid off when they were awarded a penalty try after sustained forward dominance, leveling the scores at 22-22. The Hippos were also reduced to 14 men temporarily with a yellow card.
Despite the momentum swinging towards KOBs, Jinja Hippos remained composed. A late Aziz Bagalana try sealed a 27-22 victory on the day, overturning the first-leg deficit and winning the tie 49-47 on aggregate.
