The Tour down South and Game week 6 Preview!!

It has been a fairytale like run for the Kenya sevens fans so far this season, after enduring what was a forgettable 2011-12 season you could forgive some of us for pinching ourselves every now and then just to confirm that we are not dreaming. Two semi final spots and joint second on the log..could it get better?

As we head into Port Elizabeth this weekend, one thing is for sure..expectations will be through the roof. After finishing 4^th and 3^rd, application of simple arithmetic predicts that we should brace ourselves for our first cup final in history.

We lost 4 players from the squad that played last weekend at Dubai Biko Adema, Collins Injera, Oscar Ouma and Sidney Ashioya paving way for three debutants and one very familiar face. The three are Billy Odhiambo, Oscar Ayodi and Fabian Olando, the fourth is the one we call The Tall, Humphrey Kayange. How these players fit into the system and catch up with the rest of the squad will be vital in determining how far we get in this one. Not too worried though, these are top players and don't need a pounding to get the system.

The loss of Ashioya means one of the players has been undergoing a sweeper crash course and how to defend the '70 meters' over the last week to deputize Lavin Asego. Your guess is as good as mine here, Fabian, Wamae who played at 10 in the game against France, Oscar Ayodi maybe?

We face Wales, Argentina and Spain at these times:

Kenya v Argentina – 12:44 pm

Kenya v Spain – 3:50 pm

Kenya v Wales – 8:14 pm

As we have seen over the last legs being a big name (which we are hehe) doesn't count for much, a little lapse and you find yourself languishing in the bowl, look at England or Samoa at the Gold coast. I'm sure big M has pointed this out and the mboys will not give an inch as we look to qualify for the cup on day 2. One thing I'm hoping for and looking forward to, is meeting the kiwis on day 2. We have met them twice and on both occasions we have looked a pale shadow of ourselves allowing them to run us over. Now as we have heard, Big M gave the boys a msomo after that NZ game in Dubai it will be nice seeing us blowing away the all blacks. He also mentioned that part of the problem is mental, the mboys not believing that they are ready to dine at the table of men, so to speak. Two times in a row is no fluke and it will be good to see the mboys play with a little more belief. There is also the small issue of a debt that we have to pay the hosts, these are two games I'd like to see.

Back home we are on the half way mark in most of the leagues, this game week will be the last of the year as we break for the holidays.

The Chairman's University edition sees leaders Catholic University travel to Meru to face 5^th placed KEMU, the___are yet to lose a game in this campaign and will be looking to end the year at the top of the log. Their course is further assisted as second placed Thika will not feature this weekend as the have their rest weekend. Third placed Stormers and Nazarene will also not be in action, as their fixture has been postponed. Here are the rest of the fixtures:

KEMU vs Catholic (3 pm, Meru School)

Daystar vs Kimathi (3pm Daystar, Athi river)

Mt Kenya vs Comras (3pm TBC )

In the Coast edition, 6^th placed Pwani University host leaders Mombasa II, the latter are tied with JKUAT Voi on points and will be looking to break clear as the Voi students will not be in action. Last placed Shepherds will be out to post their first points on the log when they host Mombasa Poly. Fourth placed Masaku will host third placed KEMU Nairobi, if the Kilunda manage to win with a bonus and deny KEMU the same, they will close the year in third, which is quite impressive.

 

Pwani Uni vs Mombasa II (2pm Pwani Uni.)

Shepherds vs Mombasa Poly (3pm Bamburi)

Masaku vs KEMU Nrb (3pm Machakos)

In the Nation wide East side edition, KCA will end this calender year in last place as they have their rest weekend. Leaders Kenya Poly face the Floodlit university champions USIU who are currently placed fourth in what promises to be a bruising encounter at the USIU grounds. Second placed Egerton will be hoping that USIU win against Poly as they play Multimedia University (5^th) as this will see the Wasps leapfrog Kenya poly into first. The games between Oryx and Mombasa and JKUAT vs Kabarak have been postponed to later dates:

Kenya Poly vs USIU (3pm USIU)

Multimedia vs Egerton (3pm Nazarene)

In the West, leaders Masinde Muliro travel to Bungoma High to face Bungoma RFC who are 5^th. Masinde Muliro's closest rivals Kakamega II will be hosting 8^th placed Siaya looking to end this half in top spot. Eldoret who are a point behind Kakamega II, will be looking to break away from 4^th placed Moi University, or even finish first if results elsewhere go their way, Moi Uni will be having their rest weekend.    

Bungoma vs Masinde Muliro (3pm Bungoma High)

Maseno vs Eldoret (3pm Maseno High)

Kakamega II vs Siaya (3pm Kakamega High)

Webuye vs Kisii (3pm Webuye DEB)

In the second tier ESS, leaders Quins II will make the short trip over the railway to face bitter rivals Nondies II. The hosts are in seventh and will know that the odds will be against them, Quins II have so far managed to score an average of 42.6 points a game conceding less than 2 on average. This however is a derby and more often than not shit happens in derbies, so Nondies II will be up for this one. Second placed KCB II will play seventh placed Mwamba II in what has always been a tight affair, third placed Nakuru II who suffered their first defeat at the hands of Homeboyz will be looking to dust themselves up when they meet 5^th placed Impala II. The match between 4^th placed Starthmore II and Kakamega has been pushed to next weekend, here are the rest of those fixtures:

Mwamba II vs KCB II (2pm RFUEA)

Impala II vs Nakuru II (2pm Impala Club)

Nondies II vs Quins II (2pm Jamuhuri grounds)

Homeboyz II vs Blakblad II (2pm KCB Ruaraka)

Machine II vs Kisumu II (2pm UoN grounds)

In the top flight, leaders Nakuru will look to go into the holidays firmly at the top when they travel to the capital to face Impala. Traditionally, this has been an explosive fixture with Nakuru playing second fiddle and feeder to Impala, but that has changed over the past year or so and Nakuru are firm favorites in this one. It will be the first time Lawi Buyachi will be facing his former mates since he made the switch back to his home side. Impala who are pegged in 10^th will be looking to turn around their disastrous season so far and get one over the Wanyore. After that whooping at the hands of Strathmore last weekend they cannot afford to lose this one to at least send their fans to the festive season in cheer.

Mwamba and KCB have shared epic encounters over the past, it was in this fixture last year also played  out at the RFUEA where Mwamba ended KCB's then 6 game unbeaten run. This one finds the two sides in similar form with KCB yet to taste defeat in 4 games and Mwamba losing only once to Strathmore and bouncing back in style against the Bulls last weekend. KCB have so far been the in form side, save for maybe Nakuru. The lions have played four games, they so far boast of the best attack in the league scoring 40 points on average, their defence has also not been badly off letting in 12.75 on average. Kulabu on the other side apart from the loss to the Leos have been doing well now in 5^th, two points behind KCB. This match will pit two young fly halves who made their Kenya Cup debuts this season in Kevin Atandi and Bonab Were, it will be interesting to see who between them will outwit the other and marshal his back line to victory. With second placed Strathmore not in action, KCB will be looking to jump into second if not top the standings after this round of fixtures, while Mwamba will have the chance to climb to second if they beat the bankers with a winning bonus with other results going their way.          

BlakBlad will be back in action after missing last weekend's fixture against Kisumu. The Blad make the short trip down the super highway to the Ruaraka sports club to face the Homeboyz. Blad are currently last in the log having not managed to score any points this far. The Djs for their part have had a see saw campaign this far, losing heavily to Mwamba and KCB and impressively beating Strathmore and Quins. They come into this one having lost to Nakuru and will be looking to end the year on a high and improve on their 7^th placing. The two look to be evenly matched that is if you look at their scores against Nakuru, both losing 36-11 against the Wanyore.

Second from last Kisumu will be traveling to the Capital to face a resurgent Machine side in 8^th, Kisumu have so far only played 3 games picking up just one point this one a losing bonus against Nakuru. They will be looking to record their first win that could see them end the year in 8^th depending on results elsewhere. Machine come into this one beaming with confidence, after enduring a run of tough fixtures the Eschuma have picked themselves up, winning against Blakblad and holding the defending champions to a draw. They will look to keep this form when the Kondele boys come visiting.

The highlight of this weekend has to be and indeed is the Old firm derby, The Kenya Harlequins vs The Nondiescripts, this one at the Jamuhuri grounds. Defending Champions Quins are in 4^th after surprisingly losing to Homeboyz and sharing the spoils with Machine. The quartered shirts will be looking to get back to winning ways in this one and keep up their dominance over the white shirts going. Nondies are in 8^th having not won in the last four games though it must be said those most of those losses have been really close affairs, they would not want that trend to keep going as they look for their first win against Quins in the league since 2008 or was it 9? That is if my memory serves me right, I remember there was a dunda of astronomical proportions at the Red Lion, it was like they had won the league hehe. The Nondies faithful will be hoping for a repeat of this to usher in the festive season in style, or maybe end it before it even starts!!

The fixture pitting Western Bulls and Strathmore will be played next weekend, here are those fixtures and their timings:

Impala vs Nakuru (4pm, Impala Club)

Mwamba vs KCB (4pm, RFUEA)

Homeboyz vs BlakBlad (4pm, KCB Ruaraka)

Machine vs Kisumu (4pm, UoN grounds)

Nondies vs Quins (4pm, Jamuhuri grounds)

Looking at my last set of predictions, I didn't do so badly, 5 out of six is not a bad return, so here goes this weeks predictions:

Impala 15-30 Nakuru

Mwamba 22-20 KCB

Homeboyz 25-10 BlakBlad

Machine 21-12 Kisumu

Nondies 16-22 Quins.

As always feel free to post your predictions in the comments section.

As we go into the break, the race for the top points and try scorer is also heating up. The try scorers list is led by KCB's Dennis Mwanja on 6 tries, followed by Vicor Sudi on 5, third place sees an 8 way tie with the likes of Elphas Manya of Machine, Tony Onyango and Ginton Adongo of Strathmore. Max Adaka and Darwin Mukidza of KCB, Dennis Ombachi and Mike Agevi of Mwamba, with Duncan Mwangi of Nakuru.

The top points scorer list is led by Filden Sinei of Nondies having scored a massive 46 points (that is more than some teams have managed) courtesy of one try, seven conversions and 9 penalties. Coming in second is Ken Andola on 29, Lyle Asiligwa of Quins is third on 27 points to round off the top three. I have not considered the try scorers in this list.

In other news, the pooling for the 2015 world cup was made in the week and when we do qualify, we will play in Pool C against defending Champions New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and whoever makes it first from the Euro qualifiers..let's mark those calendars people, project 2015 sisi Haooooo!!!!!

Just replace Africa 1 with KENYA!!

With that ladies and gents, lets be in good voice for both club and country as we enjoy the weekend that is upon us....aaaannnnnddddddddd....

KWISHA..Nimeruka Nje!!!!!