The Kenya national 15s rugby side welcomed Portugal to Kenyan soil in resounding fashion by thrashing them 41-15 at the RFUEA grounds yesterday afternoon.
In an entertaining duel in front of a charged and partisan Kenyan crowd, the home side scored five tries through Darwin Mukidza, Kelvin Omiyo, Brian Nyikuli, and Sammy Oliech to cruise to an impressive victory over the Europeans.
In what few fans knew what to expect, Kenya emerged the stronger side from kick-off dominating both possession and territory, as Portugal seemed to struggle to acclimatize to the condition.
Kenya scored the early tries and it was only until the 30th minute that Portugal replied and trailed 17-10 at the breather. The late resurgence for Portugal in the first half was to be short-lived as Kenya came back to the field a team on a mission and claimed the victory.
Speaking after the win, Kenya’s captain Brian Nyikuli expressed his joy over his team’s emphatic victory. But despite the victory, he said they could have done better in the first half. “We led through the first half, but in reality, we had very many mistakes and we could have done much better,” he said.
READ MORE
Christmas fever: Five was to avoid borrowing without a realistic repayment plan
Scholars warn Ruto's Singapore dream will slip away if research remains underfunded
How China's cultural exchange is helping bridge global divides
From blood trail, shattered window and drugs: Inside Maxine Wahome and Asad Khan's deadly fight
“However, in the second half we consolidated and the tries came through,” he went on to explain. “From the first half we knew we could beat this team, and when we got our rhythm, it fell into place,” he added. Nyikuli feels what separated the two teams was the desire to win, as shown by the home side. “From kick-off, we showed that we wanted it more and deservedly, we emerged victorious,” he said.
The victory is a morale booster for a side that narrowly lost out on qualifying for the rugby World Cup. Nyikuli is confident the result is an indication of how the team has healed from past scars. “Our next game is in Zimbabwe, before we return here for another tough game against Spain,” he explained. “This game has prepared us for the upcoming challenge, and I can tell you that there will be no relenting after this.
The team is hungry for results and we will work hard to post the right results,” he concluded. His thoughts were echoed by team manager Wangila Simiyu, who was also in a jovial mood.
