Kenya ready for Uganda conquest in 15s rugby

By BS MULAVI

National 15s team is better prepared for Uganda clash during semi finals of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) tournament in Madagascar today with kick-off at 12.30pm.

Speaking to Feverpitch from Antananarivo, team manager Wangila Simiyu said the team is in high spirits as they face Uganda for the third time this year. The two sides had earlier met  during the Elgon Cup last month.

“We arrived well and we are steadily trying to adjust to the climate, which is not similar to Kenya’s conditions,” he said. “Madagascar is currently in winter and so you can expect it to be extra cold.”

Simiyu went further to allay fears that the weather might affect them, citing that Uganda will also be feeling the same effects. He noted that Kenya are squarely focused on the task at hand and they will not let anything distract them.

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“This time round we feel very well prepared for Uganda, because we have played them before and know what are our strengths and weaknesses. We struggled in the rucks and we have trained hard on that and we feel very confident about our contact area,” he said.

killer punch

“We had some issues with our finishing when we got to the red zone, but I don’t think that will be an issue this time round.”

The team understand what is at stake given that for them to stand a chance to qualify for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, they need to remain in Category 1A of the tournament for the 2014 edition.

Should Kenya win this year’s tournament, they will not only be crowned African champions, but they will also get a chance to host the 2014 tournament. This will give them a great chance of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in England.

Simiyu feels that the contribution by the new Kenya coach Jerome Paarwater will be of paramount as they embark on this ambitious task.

“Having Jerome with us here in Madagascar, has given the team great confidence and that is an element needed by a team before any game,” he said.