Mwamba coach Wambua begins to feel the weight despite close win

Assistant Coach Kevin Wambua of Rugby 7s during training at RFUA grounds on Monday Oct 22, 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Coach Wambua calls for improved execution after stunning Impala Saracens at the weekend.

Mwamba coach Kevin Wambua has urged his charges to be more clinical after missing a host of try-scoring opportunities in their 15-11 win over Impala Saracens in a Kenya Cup round 15 match at the weekend.

The result, which handed Mwamba their eighth win of the season, saw them rise to fifth on the standings with 38 points, but Wambua felt they should have won with a bigger margin.

“We didn’t even play to our full potential today (Saturday). We never really executed our game-plan properly. I think this was because the players were jittery since it was a game that would decide if we reach the playoffs, or not,” said Wambua.

“I am sure the boys are going to learn and we shall be better in our next match. We just need to work on our sharpness because we should have won with more tries but unfortunately, we wasted some opportunities," said Wambua.

"We need to become more lethal as we head to the playoffs because we cannot afford to miss those chances after creating them."

Wambua added that they anticipated a tactical contest against Impala and devised ways to neutralise Mitch Ocholla’s men in defence and attack.

It was a hard-fought win for Kulabu, who had to recover from a five-point deficit after trailing 8-3 early in the second half.

Mwamba, who face Nondescripts in their last match of the regular season, will only need one point from that fixture to be guaranteed a place in the playoffs slated for March 14.

At the same time, defending champions KCB and Kabras Sugar are set to receive byes to the semi-finals with a top two finish during the regular season.

Kabras, winners of the Kenya Cup title in 2016, continued with their good run of form as they beat Nondescripts 52-6 in Kakamega while the bankers were too good for Oilers, handing them a 43-13 hiding at the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka.

Having struggled to cope for the better part of the season, Kisumu RFC and Western Bulls were relegated to the second tier Championship league after losing to Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad and Homeboyz respectively.