Uganda 7s used the Driftwood 7s in Mombasa as a crucial test of their readiness for the World Rugby HSBC SVNS Division 3 Africa Qualifiers. The Cranes walked away from the tournament with four wins from six matches.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe Ugandans, who will host the qualifiers in Kampala from Saturday, 26 to Sunday, 27 September, fielded a relatively strong squad in Mombasa as part of their preparations for the crucial tournament. Uganda will become the third African country to host an HSBC SVNS tournament after South Africa and Kenya.##NAJAVA_MECA_922035##The Cranes opened their campaign with a 27-14 victory over Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad.They overcame an early scare after Blad responded to Uganda’s opening score with a converted try under the posts.Malcom Okello was instrumental in Uganda’s victory as the Cranes settled into the tournament with a convincing win.Their second match, however, presented a tougher challenge against reigning National 7s Circuit champions, KCB Rugby. The star-studded bankers established a 12-point lead in the opening half and held on despite a spirited defensive effort from Uganda.Daystar Falcons captain opens up on toughest moment during injury rehabilitationThe Cranes struggled to execute their patient attacking approach in the wet Mombasa conditions, with handling errors disrupting their momentum. Dennis Etwau eventually crossed for a solo try, but Uganda fell 12-7.Uganda bounced back against Kisumu RFC, edging the side 17-12 to secure their place in the quarter-finals.There, they encountered another stern test against perennial Kenya Cup champions Kabras RFC. Patrick Odongo reveals niggly injuries ruling him out of Embu 7sThe Sugarmen showed their quality, cruising to a 27-5 victory and ending Uganda’s hopes of challenging for the title.The Cranes responded strongly in the placement matches, edging NYS Spades 12-10 in the fifth-place semi-final before finishing their campaign on a high with a win over Nondies RFC.Okello once again proved decisive in the final match, scoring all 19 of Uganda’s points in a 19-14 victory over Nondescripts. His haul included three tries and two conversions.Despite falling short of their initial target of reaching the semi-finals, Uganda captain Ian Muyanyi believes the experience will prove valuable as the team steps up preparations for the September qualifiers.“I am proud of the boys. We came here with a target of at least reaching the semifinals, but finishing fifth against such tough opposition is not a bad result, especially given that we had not played a tournament together before,” Muyanyi said.Jone Kubu opens up on red card ordeal that kept him out for 4 monthsThe captain stressed that the Driftwood 7s was never viewed as an isolated competition but as part of a longer preparation programme that has been running since March.“We have been training together since around March because we have the Africa Cup coming up, and we will be the hosts in September. We have had a group of players training together as a national team. Some players dropped off along the way, while these are the guys who were selected to come and have a test,” he said.Impala boosts environmental conservation efforts through partnership with leading foundationWith several players still sidelined by injuries back home, Muyanyi said the tournament provided the technical team with an opportunity to assess the squad against high-level opposition.“This is a team that has been training together; we were not just assembled for the Driftwood 7s. We have a few players who are injured back home, but this is simply a build-up tournament for the major event we have in September,” he said.For several members of the squad, the tournament also offered their first experience of competing in Kenya, exposing them to the physicality and intensity of Kenyan rugby.“It is a very physical and intense game, and the stakes are always high. Every game feels like a final because the opposition is always up there,” Muyanyi noted.The lessons from Mombasa, he added, will be important as the players return to their clubs before regrouping for the qualifiers.“Hopefully, they can take the lessons back to their clubs, identify what they need to improve and help us get to a level where we can match the standards of Kenyan rugby,” he explained.Former Kenya Sevens star bags major title in USMuyanyi also expressed his appreciation to the hosts for the opportunity to compete at the Driftwood 7s.“To Mombasa Sports Club and the Driftwood 7s organisers, thank you so much for having us. We are very happy to have been part of this tournament and to have had the opportunity to showcase Ugandan rugby,” he concluded.Uganda now returns home to continue preparations for the September qualifiers, where the Cranes will be looking to turn their Mombasa experience into a successful campaign on home soil.Uganda’s Driftwood 7s resultsUganda 27-14 Blak BladUganda 7-12 KCB RugbyUganda 17-12 Kisumu RFCUganda 5-27 Kabras RFCUganda 12-10 NYS SpadesUganda 19-14 Nondescripts