Kakamega reclaim 15s rugby title

KENYA SECONDARY SCHOOLS TERM ONE GAMES Rugby Champions Kakamega High School during Kanya Secondary School Term One games at State House Girls on Friday, April 14, 2017. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Western based team show prowess in game as they overpower rivals.

Kakamega High School beat Laiser Hill 18-14 to reclaim the Brookside National Secondary School 15s rugby title in a nerve-racking final match played yesterday at Nairobi School.

Kamamega christened Barbarians touched down twice, converted once and scored two penalties against Laiser Hill’s two converted tries to win their seventh national trophy.

The win ended Kakamega’s three year trophy drought.

The Barbarians success saw them avenge their 10-8 loss to Laiser at the preliminary stage and the win had the team’s coach Amos Wamanga over the moon.

“It was a very tough final. We had a good start and managed to keep them at bay and then used our wingers well. They came back stronger in the second half, but we constrained them and they succumbed to the pressure. It feels good to be champions once again,” Wamanga said.

Kakamega, who are also the East African champions, led 15-7 at half time, having raced to a 15-0 lead at one point.

They endured building pressure in the second half as Laiser Hill hit back to trail by a point at 15-14, before centre Derrick Ashiundu completed the job with a penalty. Laiser hill scored through John Bruce and Joel Inzuga with Johnstone Olindi converting both tries.

In hockey, St Anthony’s Kitale and St Cecilia Misikhu won the boys and girls finals to be crowned champions. St Anthony’s recaptured the title they last won in 2012 while Misikhu added a fourth to their trophy cabinet.

St Anthony’s humbled homeboys Upper Hill 3-2 while Misikhu drubbed newcomers St Joseph’s Girls Kitale 2-0 in the final. St Anthony’s were undoubtedly the stronger side as they took a 2-0 lead in the first half through Brian Ogenche.

Wycliffe Simiyu made it 3-0 in the 37th minute to declare their intentions to lift the trophy. Upper Hill fought back and dominated the second half scoring through Ian Muriuki and Eugene Onyango but St Anthony’s held on to the lead to be crowned champions.