A second rate Thousand Hills were lucky to steal a 20-12 win against a determined Kigali Sharks outfit in a lively rugby league encounter played at UTEXRWA grounds in Gacurilo on Sunday.

Jean de Dieu ‘Kabody’ Habimana was on the mark for the Sharks, converting 3 long distance penalties; however the game changed when he missed another penalty with the game standing at 13-12 in favour of 1000 Hills.

Shortly after, the Hills gathered the ball after a Shark’s knock on, and spread the ball, centre Ombane Iradukunda fed to full-back Kansanga Ujeneza who evaded Habimana to score a center try. Fly half Carlos Simbi converted the try which gave his team a 20-12 win.

The youthful fly half was on point in the game scoring two penalties and earlier converting a controversial Kansanga try that came from a forward pass and it was heavily contested by Sharks’ hooker Barnabas Ngizwenayo. Ngizwenayo had earlier converted the first penalty of the game.

 After the game, Sharks captain Jean de la Paix Ihirwe said, "We had a good game, we tried to play well but we missed out on some calls from the ref especially on the first try we conceded which came from a forward pass.”

"This cut our morale, we had to play on but the players had lost their cool. In the second half we should have taken the game with the last penalty, but luck wasn’t on our side,” he added.

In the Kigali league, Remera Buffaloes lead the table with 28 points; Thousand Hills come on second position with 10 points followed by Lions de Fer who have 7 while Kigali Sharks are without a point after 5 games played.

In the Southern Province league Muhanga RFC lead with 6 points followed by U.R Grizzlies with 3 points. Kamonyi Pumas are third without a point in 2 games. Grizzlies have two games in hand.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw