Laiser Hill Academy make light work of Kakamega

Laiser Hill Academy yesterday defeated champions Kakamega High 40-19 to increase their chances of reclaiming their Brookside East Africa Secondary Schools rugby 15s title in a nail-biting clash yesterday at Comboni Vocational Institute in Gulu, Uganda.

It was sweet revenge for the 2015 national and regional champions as they turned the tables on Kakamega, who had beaten them 18-14 in the national final.

The win was a big boost to their campaign as they accumulated 19 points from four rounds of matches, same as Kakamega, who have played five matches and at a risk of relinquishing their crown.

The title is now Laiser Hill's to lose as they only need to win their remaining two matches, against Namilyango and St Mary's Kisubi, to recapture their gong.

Laiser Hill captain Christopher Asira told The Standard Sports that it was a sweet revenge and are happy they returned the favour when it mattered most.

"It is a sweet revenge for us and we will relish every moment of this win. However, we shelve our celebrations because we are yet to win the title and need to remain focused," Asira said.

The match, which was a repeat of the national final held in April, was too close to call in the early minutes with both teams eager to take an early lead. Asira touched down for Laiser Hills' first try with fly-half Johnstone Olindi successfully converting for a 7-0 lead.

Kakamega struggled to settle in the game as they were subdued by their victory-hungry opponents. Timothy Onella finally got it right as he outpaced Laiser Hill defenders to touch down before Eugene Miyinzi leveled the scores with his successful conversion.

Kakamega took the lead for the first time in the match after Miyinzi kicked in a penalty for a 10-7 lead. However, just before the halftime whistle, Laiser Hill's Martin Mugo came through with another try and Olindi kicked in for a 14-10 score at halftime.

Laiser Hill extended their dominance after the break with two tries from William Difu and Kevin Kerore. Olindi's boot was again a sure bet with two conversions with Clinton Kioko also kicking in after another try. Kakamega scored two penalty conversions later on, but was mere consolation.