Nakuru overcome Mwamba RFC in Kenya Cup contest

Oscar Ouma in action at Nakuru Athletics club in Nakuru on January 11,2019. [Photo:Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

Missed chances in the second half came back to haunt Mwamba as they lost 13-18 to Nakuru RFC in a Kenya Cup match at the Nairobi Railway Club yesterday. 

The result saw Mwamba suffer their second successive defeat and consequently lost ground in the battle to reach the playoffs. 

In other matches, Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad thumped Western Bulls 44-0 to ease their relegation worries as league leaders Kabras Sugar saw off Kenya Harlequin 34-3 in Kakamega. 

Impala Saracens returned to winning ways by beating Menengai Oilers 37-29 at the Impala Club while Homeboyz saw off Nondies 37-11.

Leading 18-3 at half-time, Nakuru took their feet of the pedal in the second half as they were pinned in their own half by Mwamba who managed to score two tries through loose forward Edwin Machanje. 

“We have been losing to Mwamba for the past three years especially away from home and getting the win was very important. One of my players fell sick on our way to the match but I am glad we managed to pick the win, said Nakuru coach Felix Oloo. 

“We had to make some changes in the second half and this gave us much possession but unfortunately we could not take our chances. We tried to slow down the play but it did not work in our favour,” Mwamba assistant coach Peterson Kepha said. 

Nakuru’s early pressure paid off with Collins Onyango booting a fifth-minute penalty after forcing Mwamba into an infringement. 

The hosts then won a penalty of their own which Brian Kivasia failed to convert before Elvis Namusasi stepped up to level matters for Mwamba.

Collins Onyango then profited from another infringement by Mwamba to hand his side a 6-3 lead with his second penalty of the match as the visitors built on that momentum to stretch their lead by getting their first try of the match through Oscar Ouma.

Mwamba struggled to assert themselves for the entire first half and their lacklustre defending was punished by Emmanuel Mboya who dived over the whitewash for Nakuru’s second try to send Oloo’s charges 18-3 up at the break.

Mwamba emerged for the second half with renewed vigour and after camping in the Nakuru territory for a while, Edwin Machanje grounded the ball for their first try but the ensuing conversion attempt sailed wide.

Machanje returned to the score-sheet with his second five-pointer to reduce the deficit. 

In Kakamega, Fijian half-back Jona Kubu dotted a hat-trick as Kabras Sugar dispatched Kenya Harlequins 34-3 to remain top of the Kenya Cup log. 

Brian Tanga got the millers on the go with a fifth minute try converted by Ntabeni Dukisa before Jona Kubu dotted a drop goal to lead 10-3.

Dukisa extended the hosts advantage to 13-3 after splitting the posts before Kubu and Dukisa combined for a 20-3 lead at the break. 

In the second half, Tanga got his second try with Dukisa adding the extras before Kubu landed his third of the day to seal the millers win at the Bulk Ring. 

In Kisumu, defending champions KCB thrashed hosts Kisumu RFC 55-7 at Kisumu Polytechnic to keep at pace with leaders Kabras Sugar.

Scrumhalf Samwel Asati opened the scoring for the visitors before Esau Otieno doubled it.