It is a clash Kobs cannot afford to lose, and one Pirates badly want to win to cement their hold onto top spot.
When Pirates host Kobs on Saturday, it will be a top of the table clash between first and second in the Nile Special Rugby Premier League.
Table leaders Pirates will be looking to extend their lead at the top while Kobs smell a chance to leapfrog their rivals with victory.
It is a clash Kobs cannot afford to lose, and one Pirates badly want to win to cement their hold onto top spot.
Brian Makalama’s side has already fallen this season, in a dramatic 17-15 loss to another rival, Heathens and another first round slip up can easily push them out of the title race, not mathematically but realistically.
The top three teams in the league do not lose many games, it is usually the games played amongst themselves that make or break one’s season.
And Pirates head coach knows what to expect when the Blue Army makes the trip to Bweyogerere.
“Any game against Kobs is tough,” Odongo told Pulse Sports before his side’s training session on Tuesday.
“I expect them to throw the kitchen sink at us. They will empty their tanks on us and hopefully we shall be able to absorb and return,” he added.
That loss to Heathens at Legends means Kobs cannot afford any more mistakes in the title race.
“I know they wouldn’t want to lose that game and we wouldn’t want to lose it too.”
Strong start
After six match days, Pirates are in a good place, having won all their opening six games of the season.
And the start could not have been better. Pirates had just lost the Uganda Cup final to Heathens in Entebbe but had the opportunity to settle that score immediately.
And in front of the home crowd, the Sea Robbers defeated the defending champions 24-18 to start the season with a big scalp.
At full time of that season opener, Odongo ran about ten meters into the pitch, took his cap off and jumped to punch the air in celebration of a massive win.
He will be hoping for more of the same when Makalama and his Kobs visit.
“You don’t win tough games by being ordinary and every Kobs game is one of those. You have to be extraordinary.”
Pirates top the log with 28 points, two ahead of Kobs but it is the 2021 champions who have collected six bonus points against the Sea Robbers’ four.
The visitors have also scored a lot more points compared to the hosts, 270 compared to 178.
All this, however, will not matter when the whistle goes for kick off on Saturday. It will all be about winning the game for both sides.
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