NAIROBI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya and Uganda national rugby 15s teams are set to clash in an Africa Gold Cup qualifier in Nairobi on Saturday in the latest installment of their long rivalry.
The match that will be played in Nairobi will also serve as the second leg of the annual Elgon Cup competed among the two nations with the hosts who are eying a 10th title ahead 23-18 from the first encounter played in Kampala.
Kenya will be hoping to avoid similar mistakes that cost them victory in their last home match when they narrowly lost 29-30 to Germany in a World Rugby Test match in May.
"We had to clear out our errors and be disciplined in our defence, that is what worked for us as we came back in the game in the second half," Darwin Mukidza who led the team christened Kenya Simbas XVs as the stand-in captain said.
The first edition of the tournament named after Mount Elgon that straddles both countries was played in 2004 with Kenya dominating with nine victories against the three of Uganda.
The Elgon Cup has only failed to take off once in the 13-year history in 2005 when preference was given to the Rugby World Cup qualifiers.
Like the second leg of the Cup last year Saturday's encounter will act as a qualifier for the Rugby Africa Cup of Nations, recently renamed Gold Cup.
The Uganda Rugby Cranes preparations for the second leg have been disrupted by the row among players and fans after the squad was paid a paltry 50 U.S. dollars in allowances for the game.
