SWORDS SHARPENED FOR SCOTLAND duel: Kenya pooled in toughest IRB Rugby Sevens group this season

Nairobian- Leon Adongo - rugby player / sprinter
Kenya Sevens' Leon Adongo is tackled by Spainish players during their IRB Series in Hong Kong Stadium at Hong Kong Stadium in 2012.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

In what is arguably Kenya’s toughest pool this season in the World Rugby Series Sevens circuit, all teams are sharpening their claws for a ferocious battle in Scotland this weekend.

Kenya are pooled with the current leaders in the overall standings South Africa, the current defending champions New Zealand and rugby powerhouse Samoa. South Africa and New Zealand are in a neck to neck battle for the top slot and they have vowed not to take any prisoners as the circuit draws to a close.

South Africa coach Neil Powell made two changes to the side that won the Tokyo Sevens in April, a win that increased their lead at the top of the HSBC Sevens World Series standings.

“We are in a very tough pool and will have to fight all the way to qualify for the quarter finals,” said Powell.

“Each pool match will be a knockout match for us, so there will be no room for complacency.”

Meanwhile New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens has also voiced his intentions.

“It’s important we do well. If we win that pool and go on to win the tournament we can go on to win the World Series,” said Tietjens.

“It’s going to be tough. Qualifying for the Olympics is always our first priority so it’s paramount we do well and accumulate more points.

BOUNCE BACK

“We finished last season by winning the last two tournaments. But this will be tougher. We’re sitting third on the table, but we can bounce back and we’ve been in this situation where at the death we’ve won another World Series so it’s a challenge for us and I am hoping we really perform,” he concluded.

Kenya are currently ranked at number 13 in the standings with 33 points and the head coach Felix Ochieng has made it clear that the team intends to finish the circuit on a high. Some of the players in the team like Humphrey Kayange, Biko Adema and Collins Injera have had the opportunity to beat South and New Zealand before, hence have every reason to be optimistic.

The team has failed to strike the right cord this season, starting with the reign under Paul Treu and his predecessor Ochieng, is under close scrutiny as to whether he can steer the team back to winning ways, considering he has been the assistant coach under all four other regimes, where the team has registered mixed results.