BY MARK KINYANJUI
Despite the strong home support at a packed Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya’s national rugby sevens teams could not clinch top spot in the opening HSBC SVNS 2 series on Sunday afternoon.
While Shujaa secured a podium finish, the Lionesses faced a grueling reality check on home soil during the second leg of the HSBC SVNS Challenger series in Nairobi.
Shujaa fall short in final hurdle
Kenya Shujaa’s dream of a home-turf title was halted by a clinical USA side in a high-stakes encounter.
In their first encounter of day two, Shujaa looked unstoppable against Uruguay, winning 17-7. John Okoth was the star of the show, dancing past defenders to bag a brace, while Samuel Asati sealed the deal to send the fans into a frenzy.
However, the USA proved a hard nut to crack in the last game of the tournament. With many expecting Kenya to win having already won their first four games of the tournamentA lapse in concentration allowed Lucas Lacamp to strike early for the Americans.
Despite a late lifeline try from George Ooro, Aaron Cummings and Adam Channel proved too strong, handing USA a 21-5 victory.
Lionesses endure tough outing
It was a weekend of “what ifs” for the Kenya Lionesses, who found the going tough against clinical opposition.
In a defensive slugfest, the Lionesses fell 0-5 to Argentina. A single second-minute try by Marianela Escalante was the difference-maker.
In their second encounter of the day and last of the tournament against Spain, There was a glimmer of hope when Freshia Awuor put Kenya ahead.
However, the lead was short-lived as Abril Camacho Ruiz and Denise Goratzar struck back in quick succession to hand Spain a 14-5 win.
Standings
In the men’s category Germany emerged as the surprise kings of Nairobi, finishing top with 13 points. USA follows in second (13 points), while Kenya Shujaa sits in third with 12 points. This keeps their dreams of world series promotion very much alive, as they ultimately need to secure a top four spot to seal a place in the grand finale in Los Angeles.
With 1 win and 4 losses, the Lionesses finished 5th in the table after the first leg. They now face a steep mountain to climb in the upcoming rounds to improve their global standing.
While the Lionesses need to go back to the drawing board, Shujaa’s third-place finish is a solid foundation. If they can tighten their defense during transition play, the next leg could see them back on top.
