BOYS WILL COME GOOD: Coach Ayimba heaps praise on quartet ahead of Cape Town leg of IRB Series

Kenya Sevens head coach Benjamin Ayimba was full of praise of Nelson Oyoo (Nakuru), Jeffrey Oluoch (Homeboyz), Frank Wanyama (Kenya Harlequin) and Robert Aringo (Impala) for their impressive debuts at the Dubai Sevens, the first leg of the 2015/16 Sevens World Series.

Kenya may have performed dismally, bowing out at the bowl semi final after losing 33-7 to eventual Bowl winners France on Saturday, but according to the tactician the quartet gave a good account of themselves.

Oyoo scored two tries including a decisive sudden death try against Japan in the quarterfinals, while Wanyama and Oluoch scored one each in the group matches.

Shujaa were dropped to the Bowl category after losing 14-12 to Australia in their opening Group D match on Friday before falling to England (12-19) and Wales (12-10).

“Although we didn’t perform as per many people’s expectations, I have been pleased with how well our debutantes stepped up to the plate,” Ayimba told Feverpitch on phone from Dubai.

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“The new boys played very well. It’s just to gel before all systems go for us,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kenya will be hoping to bounce back this weekend (December 12-13) in the inaugural Cape Town leg, the second of the series, after a poor show in Dubai.

However, Ayimba’s side faces a daunting task as they have been pooled in a tough Group B alongside against familiar opponents-Dubai losing finalists England, hosts and Plate winners South Africa and Zimbabwe. England, who beat Kenya (12-19) in last weekend’s Group D encounter, lost 28-17 to reigning World Series Sevens champions Fiji in the finals as South Africa clinched the Plate after struggling to beat Australia 19-14 in the final.

Zimbabwe Cheetahs is a familiar side to Kenya as they gave Shujaa a hard time to book an automatic Rio Olympics spot after narrowly beating them 19-17 in Johannesburg recently.

Fiji headline Pool A which has Argentina, Scotland and Russia while Mike Friday’s USA, who won Bronze in Dubai are in Pool C together with Australia, Wales and Portugal.

Former champions New Zealand will battle with Samoa, France and Canada in Pool D.

Elsewhere, Strathmore Leos and Kenya Harlequin were the biggest winners in the third round of the 2015/16 Kenya Cup season played on Saturday.

Strathmore white-washed debutants Bungoma Sharks 86-0 as Quins humiliated a depleted Thika RFC a 97-0 at the RFUEA grounds.

Homeboyz secured a narrow 25-23 victory over Nakuru at the Nairobi Showground. Nondescript recorded their second win of the season after beating Mean Machine 25-5 at the Jamhuri Park as Kabras Sugar and Mwamba shared the spoils after their match at the Nairobi Railway grounds ended in a 20-20 draw.

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