Homeboyz cruise to 10 Aside quarter-finals of 29th edition of the Great Rift 10 Aside Championships

Barry Otieno of Homeboyz RFC battles for the ball with Nondescripts during the Great Rift 10 Aside at Nakuru Athletic Club on April 20, 2019. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

Defending champions Homeboyz defeated Nondies 12-7 to cruise to the quarter-finals of the 29th edition of the Great Rift 10 Aside Championships at Nakuru Athletic Club yesterday.

They qualified for the knockout stages with a match to spare against Impala after two opening victories.

Buoyed by their 17-0 victory in the opening match against Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture Technology (JKUAT), the defending champions led 5-0 at the break from a try by Barry Otieno against Nondies after he eluded his markers to make a fantastic touch down after three minutes of play.

In the second half, Homeboyz showed no complacency adding the second try that was converted by Brian Sangoi for a 12-0 lead before the losers reduced the deficit when Mike Mitoko touched down with a conversion by Thomas Monya.

Impala also made it to the last eight from two wins after they beat Nondies 17-0 and followed it with a 34-0 drubbing of JKUAT.

Hosts and four-time champions Nakuru RFC had a mixed start in Pool D winning one match and losing another, which did not go down well with their ardent fans.

In the first first match, Nakuru dismissed Makueni RFC 24-0 but succumbed 14-17 to University of Nairobi’s Mean Machine whose backline was impenetrable in the dying minutes when the Homeboyz had gained the momentum.

Nakuru were waiting to know their fate in the knockout stages with a Nax Vegas Derby against an unpredictable Menengai Oilers who had earlier dismissed Mean Machine 17-0 and later thrashed Makueni RFC 17-7.

In Pool B, 2014 champions KCB booked their ticket to the quarter-finals after the bankers dismissed Egerton Wasps 22-0 and later beat Kiambu RFC 24-0 with a match in hand against a stubborn Masinde Muliro University of Science Technology (MMUST).

MMUST had earlier beaten Kiambu RFC 24-0 and followed it with a 24-0 victory against Egerton Wasps to qualify for the knockout stages.

Their next match against KCB will decide the group leaders.

Three-time champions Strathmore Leos also booked their quarterfinal slot from two victories against University of Eldoret (UOE) and Moi University whom they defeated 19-0 and 43-5, respectively.

Black Blad also won against Moi University 24-0 and followed it with a 31-7 win over UOE.