Rugby team to fight off bad record in Scotland

By BS Mulavi

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Kenya National Sevens Rugby team will be fighting against all odds when they kick off their Glasgow Sevens campaign in Scotland on Saturday.

The team has a dismal record in the past when it comes to the last two legs of the circuit. The most number of points Kenya has ever received in the history of the International Rugby Board Sevens Circuit, final legs, was eight points in the 2005/2006 season which is way below what is needed for them to hit their hundred mark target.

In the beginning of the season, the Kenya Rugby Union gave the team a hundred point target and with two legs remaining before the season ends, the team currently holds seventy seven points at fifth position in the table standings.

The poor form in the final two legs in the past years has always been attributed to player fatigue, caused by a grueling preceding six tournaments.

This year Friday has worked immensely on player fitness and conditioning and he will be hoping it plays a part in Scotland and England.

Big boost

The return of Mwamba winger Collins Injera is a big boost for the side after he missed out in the previous two legs, which gave him a break from high intensity rugby.

However, the absence of former captain Sidney Ashioya and new key player Dennis Ombachi might play a major role in how the team will perform in the games.

The bulk of the team has not been very active in the local rugby scene and was deliberately not named for the just concluded CAR 7s in Mombasa, to allow them to be fresh for Scotland, England and most importantly the Sevens Rugby World Cup. Kenya’s daunting task in Scotland includes a fierce battle against South Africa in their first pool stages game, an equally tough fixture against Samoa in the second game and finally Canada.

South Africa is currently ranked second in the table standings with 100 points, while Samoa is just above Kenya in fourth spot with 94 points.

Speaking ahead of the games team captain Andrew Amonde quipped, “We are aware of the challenge we face in Glasgow. We have confidence in our ability and will approach each match as it comes as we look to post positive results to carry us through to the next stage of the competition.”

Each team in the pool is lethal, and the side will need to ensure they beat at least two teams if they hope to make it to the Main Cup quarter-finals of the tournament. This will mean they will definitely need to beat Canada and cause an upset between Samoa and South Africa.

However,  if they are hoping to win the tournament, then they will have to prove that they are the best straight from day one by beating everyone in the pool.

 Fixtures: Kenya  V SA (1358hrs) Kenya