Will the Kenya Rugby Seven team up it’s game and better it’s performance in the next IRB World Series?
The team is in Pool C for the third leg of HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to take place in Hamilton, New Zealand on January 26-27. Kenya will square it out alongside Scotland, France and South Africa.
Shujaa faced Scotland in the Dubai leg losing 35-14 while also falling 21-17 to France at the same outing.
The Paul ‘Pau’ Murunga coached charges seemed not to have learnt from their mistakes as they were again beaten by France at the Cape Town Sevens last Saturday losing 19-12.
Shujaa who won the Shield Cup in South Africa last weekend, climbing to position 14th in the series will be aiming for an impressive show in New Zealand.
The national sevens team ended their Cape Town Sevens tour with a 33-26 victory over Wales in their 13th-place playoff with Johnstone Olindi notching a brilliant hatrick for the Shujaa.
Shujaa needed just 19 seconds for Olindi to drive around the outside and past the Welsh defense for the try with Mwamba’s Daniel Taabu converting it.
But Owen Jenkins scored back for the Welsh side after receiving an excellent play from Ben Jones.
Tomi Lewis managed to shrug off two Kenyan defenders and run 75 metres to take the ball home.
Taabu took a Wonderful cover tackle to bring down Ben Jones, but Wales recycled and Jay Jones was able to touch it down.
It was a good end to the half for Kenya, with Cyprian Kuto accelerating down the right wing and around the outside of the Welsh defence but they missed the conversation to make it 19-12 at halftime.
Kenya started at high in the second half with a three-on-two play, but Olindi needed only himself spotting a chance to score a try to level Kenya.
Olindi brilliant stretch put Kenya seven up with Taabu converting it, LeonardMugaisi brock out out from the ruck and there was nothing to stop him diving across the try line.
Luke Treharne, came inside Will Talbot-Davies on the right wing, getting a try and conversion, but lose to Kenya 33-26.
On their way to the 13th place playoffs Kenya defeated fellow Africans Zimbabwe 31-19 after losing 34-31 to Argentina in the challenge trophy semi finals.