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With both Kobs and Pirates having trips to Kyadondo in the second round, Muhammad Athiyo’s outfit will have a slight advantage in the title race.
There will be no time to rest for teams in the Nile Special Rugby Premier League.
The second round of the season gets underway Saturday afternoon, three days after the last games of the first round were played.
Kobs, Heathens and Pirates lead the charge for the championship, and the race in that direction starts on Saturday.
The margins are fine. Kobs and Heathens are on 40 points in first and second place respectively, with Brian Makalama’s side edging the defending champions on points difference.
The Blue Army has been in top-scoring form and has a points difference of 338 compared to Heathens’ 264.
Meanwhile, the Pirates are not far off the pace themselves, on 39 points and in third place. The Sea Robbers will be waiting to pounce should the top two sides slip up along the way.
The table leaders, who were top of the log after match day one with a bonus point win over Walukuba Barbarians, will start the second round against Plascon Mongers.
Different from the visitors, who enter the second phase of the season top of the log with an 8-1 record, the hosts have struggled to impress.
A 2-7 record has the Entebbe side hanging around the relegation zone, on 10 points, just four ahead of bottom side Rams.
Kobs will be confident of picking points to maintain their good run.
With the Uganda Sevens players out of league action, Kobs will continue to rely on their pack to dominate opponents.
Makalama has relied on Frank Kakula, Collins Kimbowa and Saul Kivumbi to dominate the collisions throughout the first round.
The boot of Joseph Aredo also played a big part in the team’s run of form.
Advantage Heathens
Like it or not, the title race will be decided in games played amongst the top three sides.
Heathens lost the first game of the season to Pirates at the King’s Park Arena but recovered to defeat Kobs in dramatic fashion at Legends.
With both Kobs and Pirates having trips to Kyadondo in the second round, Muhammad Athiyo’s outfit will have a slight advantage in the title race.
Makerere Impis will be the first challenger for Heathens in an early kickoff game at the Graveyard, Makerere.
There might be no Michael Wokorach, Aaron Ofoyrwoth and Nobert Okeny in the Heathens team, but the leadership of veterans Scot Oluoch and Lawrence Ssebuliba should arrest any worries.
Troubled Rams
If you are Rams and preparing for a Makerere derby on match day two of the second round, a clash with title-chasing Pirates might not be the best dress rehearsal.
But Richard Lumu’s charges must play everyone before them, focusing on getting as many points as possible to get off the bottom of the log.
A 03-03 draw with Rhinos was the only game in which Rams avoided defeat in the first round. There were close losses, though, and Rams will be hoping to turn those into victories in the last nine games.
Nile Special Rugby Premier League
Saturday fixtures
Impis vs. Heathens -1pm, Makerere
Rams vs. Pirates -3pm, Makerere
Rhinos vs. Walukuba -4pm, Legends
Mongers vs. Kobs -4pm, Entebbe
Buffaloes vs. Hippos -4pm, Kyadondo
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