DISMAL SHOW: Kenya bags one point at Vancouver rugby Sevens

World Rugby Sevens Series Men's Vancouver Portugal (green) vs Kenya (red) during HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action in Vancouver, BC, March 12, 2016. Kenya won 43-5. / AFP PHOTO / Don MacKinnon

The Kenya Sevens rugby team maintained eighth spot on the overall HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series table standings.

This was an outing Shujaa really needed to seal early, but they only got one point in the sixth round of the Series in Vancouver, Canada.

The injury-hit side took its IRB points tally to 53 after recording one of its worst performance this season; they won only one match against Portugal (43-5) in their opening Group A fixture.

They lost 26-19 to Samoa and 24-19 to series leaders and champions Fiji. Before the Canada tournament, Kenya got 10 points from the Las Vegas leg.

With the unavailability of their three key players; Billy Odhiambo, Leonard Mugaisi and Dennis Ombachi for the Vancouver outing, Shujaa lost 24- 21 (Bowl quarters) and 24-7 (Shield semis) to France and Russia.

New Zealand, who won their third tournament of the season after beating South Africa 19-14 in the Main Cup final, are still third on the log with 104 points, one behind second-placed Springboks.

Fiji are still at the helm of the table with 106 points despite losing 19-12 to fourth-ranked Australia (90 points) in the third-place playoff.

Despite the dismal show, assistant captain Collins Injera had something to smile about when he scored his 222nd try against France to become the all-time second highest try scorer.

Injera is now eight tries behind Argentina's Santiago Gomez Cora (230). The Les Bleus took the lead when Julien Candelon scored two quick tries. Only one was converted. However, Willy Ambaka pulled back a converted try back for Shujaa for a 12-7 score at halftime.

Injera scored his 222th try with Biko Adema successfully converting as Kenya led 14-12. France responded quickly through Pierre Lakafia, who made it 17-14.

Kenya regained the lead through Sammy Oliech's converted try, but Jonathan Laugei touched down and after a successful conversion, France led 24-21 and qualified for the Plate semis as Kenya dropped to Shield.

Focus shifts to next month's Hong Kong and Singapore Sevens.