Kabras, KCB battle for Kenya Cup supremacy

Harlequins Captain Patrice Agunda breaks through Kabras Sugar players during Enterprise Cup match at RFUEA. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The ASK Showground in Kakamega is set to come alive today as it hosts two finals of Kenya Rugby Union leagues with the Kenya Cup decider pitting hosts Kabras Sugar against defending champions KCB the centre of attraction. 

The match, scheduled to kick off at 3:45pm, will be preceded by the KRU Championship final which will see Western Bulls lock horns against Kisumu RFC.

Both Bulls and Kisumu are assured of featuring in the top tier next season and the dead rubber presents them with an opportunity to battle for bragging rights.

On matters Kenya Cup, 2015-16 champions Kabras are out to end KCB’s dominance and write history by claiming their first ever win over the bankers which will come with a prize money of Sh1 million.

If their current form is anything to go by, then the two sides are with no doubt the best in the country as they lost only once during the league phase.

Kabras ended up topping the standings while the Curtis Olago-coached KCB came second as a result of their inferior bonus points.

It will be the third consecutive meeting between the sides in the final, the previous two having been won by the Ruaraka-based side.

Unlike the two finals, the sugar millers head to today’s contest banking on home advantage, something which head coach Henly Du Plessis believes will be key in ending a three-year trophy drought.

“We are looking forward to a tough match against the country’s best club. They ended our unbeaten run during the regular season and we need to work hard in both defence and attack. I think we have everything to win the title for the home fans,” Du Plessis told Standard Sport.

“Our target is to win the title since the players have had a wonderful season and they deserve it,” the former Boland Cavaliers coach said, adding that he expects his players to rise to the occasion.

KCB have put faith in the squad that blew away Kenya Harlequin in last weekend’s semi final with the London-bound Kenya Sevens trio of backrower Andrew Amonde, winger Jacob Ojee and Vincent Onyala all making the line up. The latter is however named on the bench.

KCB and Kabras have faced off nine times in the Kenya Cup with Kabras’ best show in this fixture being a 15-15 draw in 2016.