Harlequins crowned

By BS Mulavi

Kenya Harlequins emerged the 2010 Kenya Cup champions after an emphatic 26-21 comeback victory over KCB in the final of the competition at the RFUEA grounds.

So massive was the victory that Quins coach Edward Kinyany could not hold back tears of joy at the final whistle and was left speechless for almost 10 minutes after the game.

All odds were stacked against Quins in the first-half, with the bankers putting up a clinical display to take a massive 21-8 lead by the stroke of half time.

However, things took a turn for worse for KCB after Quins slowed down the game to their pace and got their forwards working to a stunning come back that left the bankers dumb-founded with no reply.

KCB coach Michael ‘Tank’ Otieno rued his team’s performance in the second half, saying: "We did not play in the second period and props to Quins for punishing us."

Bitter pill

"We should have done much better, especially with the lead we had gathered, but we threw it all away. Now we have to swallow the bitter pill of coming so close and losing. It is back to the drawing board for us and we will be back even stronger next year for the trophy."

Speaking to Feverpitch, Quins’ coach Kinyany lauded his side for the composure they showed to slowly claw their way back into the game and register such an important victory.

"We gave KCB too much respect in the first half, so at half time, I just told my boys that they have to dig deep and believe in themselves," said an ecstatic Kinyany.

"KCB were a bit hasty in the first half and opted for the three points from penalties when they got into our territory instead of getting in the tries. We just had to be patient and make sure we make the right decisions," he added.

Critical stage

Quins were firm favorites to grab the trophy after an impressive run in the Kenya Cup, having lost only one game and it would have been heart-breaking had they lost at such a critical stage in their own back yard. In the first match of the day, Impala claimed third place in the league with a 16-8 victory over Nakuru, while Homeboys RFC claimed the Eric Shirley Shield trophy after thumping Kisumu 36-12 at the Mean Machine grounds.

Mean Machine II fought to a 15-13 victory over Spartans of Mombasa to claim the Universities’ League title.

Mombasa Coach Talbert Achayo blamed the loss on lethargy from the trip down to Nairobi, saying: "We arrived in the city at seven in the morning and our game had been scheduled at ten. We barely got a chance to get breakfast, but we still played and unfortunately lost."