The Tokyo Sevens and Gameweek 17 Review.

It was a rugby weekend that had mixed fortunes for most of us, let us start from where the sword cuts us all, the sevens.

That was a leg that most of us would like to forget and fast, but it was more of an eye opener for the team and technical bench, lets first look at the results over the two days :

Argentina 15-7 Kenya
Wales 22-0 Kenya
Russia 26-17 Kenya
Bowl Quarter final
USA 12-7 Kenya
Shield Semi final
Kenya 24-17 Japan
Shield Final
Scotland 26-12 Kenya

One win in 6 were not the returns we were expecting, especially me who had really high hopes going into this one. The weather in Tokyo did us no service, the windy and wet conditions did not suite our play one bit. We failed to change our game play and were being forced into error after the other thus were punished by the rest of the teams that had adopted quickly. We were first to concede early on in almost all our games and found it hard to chase these games, in general it was just an off day for the mboys. I called this leg an eye opener because we play and always have played sevens rugby as a summer sport, this has worked pretty well this far as weather conditions throughout the circuit have been favoring this, now with the entry of Tokyo we have to diversify our preparations.

We earned 2 points from Japan and now are tied at 11th with Scotland on 36 points, next up is the final two legs in Scotland (05-06 May) and England (12-13 May) respectively. We are drawn in Pool alongside Australia, England and USA.

Back home, the finalists for the Nationwide league were decided over the weekend,while we also got the general direction of the finalists of the universities league, as the title races heated up in the ESS and Kenya Cup, here are the results:

Nationwide Semi finals:
USIU 7 -10 Mombasa (Aggregate score USIU 7-17 Mombasa)
Blak Blad 29-11 Eldoret (Aggregate Blak Blad 42-23 Eldoret)

University League Semifinals:
Blakblad II 3-7 Multimedia uni.
Egerton 3-0 Catholic University

The battle for the final spots seem to be pretty tight according to the above scores, Blak blad meet Mombasa in the final of the Nationwide league on 14th April, I am guessing it will be at the RFUEA.

In the ESS, Quins II kept their unbeaten record going after beating Impala, but they still remain second to Western Bulls who saw off the KCB cubs in Kakamega. Here are the collated results :

Strathmore II 25 – 22 Nondies II
Western Bulls 31-24 KCB II
Machine II10-9 Mwamba II
Quins II 39-19 Impala II
Homeboyz II 3-8 Nakuru II

In the Kenya Cup, the games played out as follows:
Kisumu 16-40 KCB
Strathmore 22-24 Nondies
Machine 25-17 Mwamba
Homeboyz 6-14 Nakuru
Quins 25-8 Impala

We start in Kisumu, where the lions made easy work of their hosts and completing the double over them in commanding fashion. This bonus victory takes the bankers into third, while it continues to see Kisumu anchor the league standings. The kondele boys can take something from this game as they managed to score 16 points, in the previous fixture at the den they left the score board as they found it. KCB's charge for second place keeps going and they will be looking to build on this resounding victory into the final two games.

To the Impala grounds, where Nondies managed to get their revenge on Strathmore though just through a last minute try from Odipo. The result earned both teams a bonus point, Nondies for scoring 4 tries and Strathmore for losing by less than 7 points. The students from the good university now fall to fourth after this result, while the red lions remain seventh just two points from sixth. With the XXVII crew only having one game to play, it looks like they are going to finish fourth but still have an outside chance at third.

At the UoN grounds, Machine turned on the style to see off their Uhuru highway counterparts Mwamba. The eschuma managed to put behind the loss to Nakuru in the previous week to even out things with their closest neighbours. Kulabu continue blowing hot and cold a fact that has seen them lose out on the title in what started as a very promising season. Eschuma have also been guilty of inconsistency as they have shown so much promise this season, especially after the turn of the Year. The white and blue stripes earn a bonus from this match and move into 8th as Kulabu remain 5th.

In the lions’ den Ruaraka, Homeboyz failed to keep the momentum they had built over the last three games as they went down to the Menengai oil Nakuru. With this result, the wanyore oils keep their charge for the title going, but the failure to earn a bonus point here sees them fall a point further off the leaders. The rift side ensured the victory in the dying minutes of the game as it was locked at 9-6 in their favor for a long period of the second half in what was a close encounter. That loss sees the djs slip to 9th though still in with a shout for 8th, maybe even 6th.

To the big one, the ngong road derby wher the lunch bar Quins were looking to complete the double over their fierce rivals while looking to keep up the defence of their title after the loss to Mwamba in the previous week. Impala were getting into this one with nothing more than their pride on the line and looking to improve on their table standings.

The game started at a frantic pace with Impala on the front foot, the early pressure earned them a penalty from which Vincent Mose put his side 3-0 ahead. Quins response was almost immediate, Eden Agero playing at fly half doing well to set up Patrice Agunda’s Try, though he missed the conversion to make the scores 5-3. Impala regrouped quickly, a strong run by Lawi Buyachi ended at the Quins 5, where the forwards put together a series of probes before Ian burged over for the try to make the score 5-8. The game would continue to be a free flowing see saw affair with great runs from Sudi of Quins and Mose of Impala. Former Impala man Brian Nyikuli got the first of his two tries just before half time, after Quins mauled from the Impala 5. The conversion sailed wide to take the game into the break at 10-8, at this point it was anyone’s game after a closely contested first half.

The second half kicked off with Quins having got a new impetus, as they ran play for the better part of the first 15 minutes. This dominance paid off when Tony Mutai grounded the ball for the quartered shirts after a series of phases from the forwards to make the score 15-8. Impala would turn the heat on their hosts, camping inside their territory but failing to turn this pressure into points. Quins would win a penalty and found touch just shy of the Impala 22, they set up a maul from the ensuing line out, which they steadily pushed just 10m off the Impala line. The forwards set up a series of rucks inching closer to the line then that man Nyikuli popped up again to give the lunch bars the bonus point amid celebrations from the player, 20-8. Impala would not fold as they continued making forays into Quins territory but were again guilty of giving the ball away in crucial areas. Quins continued to defend resolutely and did well to keep the gazelles at bay. The quartered shirts turned over a ball deep in their territory and put together a series of phases that gained them valuable ground, swinging the ball from touchline to the other stretching the Impala defence. This would set up the final try by Victor Sudi, who was the last man in a 3 man overlap for Quins and had the simple job of brushing off one tackle and jogging to the corner for the score. That was how it ended 25-8, Quins with the 5 unconverted tries but that won’t bother them much as they get back to winning ways, complete the double over Impala and more importantly keep the hunt for their third consecutive title alive and well.

Impala again were guilty of not turning possession and dominance into points, they clearly made more visits into the Quins 22 than their opponents did to theirs yet the score board told a different story. My man of the match goes to Brian Nyikuli, his brace notwithstanding he was immense for Quins throughout the whole game in all departments, also worth a mention are Tony Mutai for Quins Joel Omer, Lawi Buyachi and that man Kevin ‘Hawk’ Umbuge who never disappoints.

The result sees Impala remain 6th though just, as they face a real challenge from Nondies, Machine and Homeboyz. This race is bound to heat up now with 2 games to go. Quins on the other hand stretch their lead at the top to 5 points with two games to play this title looks like it’s going to be decided on the last day of the season. Here is a look at the table after those games :

Quins - 60
Nakuru - 55
KCB - 51
Strathmore - 49
Mwamba - 44
Impala - 36
Nondies - 34
Machine - 29
Homeboyz - 27
Kisumu - 13

The league takes a break this weekend to pave way for the Menengai Great Rift 10 a-side tournament in Nakuru. Though there might be league matches played on Good Friday, anyway here are the pools for the 10’s :
Pool A:                           Pool B:
Nakuru                           Strathmore      
Machine                          Mwamba             
Nondies                          KCA                     
Leons De Fer                  Eldoret                   



Pool C :                            Pool D :
Quins                                Homeboyz 
KCB                                 Impala
Blak Blad                          Western Bulls
Egerton                              USIU

Very tough pools there, though pool A looks like the ‘pool of death’ closely followed by pools C and D. Leons De Fer are a team from Rwanda just incase you were wondering. The tournament retains its format and promises as always to be a weekend of action packed rugby. It will be interesting to see the sides that the top teams will be fielding for this tournament seeing as the league is not yet over, especially the hosts and Quins who are locked in the battle for the league title. My favourites for this one are the usual suspects, Strathmore, Mwamba and the Wanyore oils, though with a keen eye on KCB, Quins, Impala and Homeboyz. More on the tournament if and when I do it’s preview.

With that ladies and gentlemen..have a great short week ahead aaaannnnnddd……

KWISHA!!!!

Let me say this now just incase I dont get the opportunity to say it later.....Here's wishing you a happy and blessed Easter to you and yours...