KCB Rugby head coach Andrew Amonde says he is proud of the effort his team put in at the weekend’s Driftwood 7s in Mombasa, but needs a quick rebound if they are to defend the National Sevens Circuit title won last season.
The Bankers on Sunday, 23 August, finished second at the Driftwood leg, falling 15-5 to rivals Kabras in a heated final at Mombasa Sports Club.Kabras claim Driftwood Sevens title following sweet revenge over bitter rivalThe defeat saw KCB’s gap at the top of the leaderboard reduced to just three points, thanks to Kabras’ 22-point haul that solidified their second place on the log with 73 points.
Speaking at the end of a rather edgy weekend for KCB, former Kenya Sevens star Amonde said: “It was a competitive weekend, and I am proud of the fight and commitment the boys showed, especially in the knockout stages. Of course, we wanted to win the final, but there are positives we can take from our performance.”
On their route to the final, KCB saw out Nondescripts 17-14 in a thrilling quarter-final, before overcoming Menengai Oilers 10-5 in a tense semi-final that went to sudden death.With two tournaments remaining, Embu 7s and Christie 7s, Amonde focused on the next task, adding: “We will go back, work on the areas that need improvement, and prepare well for Embu.”
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That message was not far off from that of the playing unit, with KCB skipper Brian Wahinya saying as much.“Losing a final is never easy because we came here with the intention of winning, but we must give credit to Kabras,” Wahinya said. “For us, the focus now is on the bigger picture. We are still at the top of the standings, and with two legs remaining, we know what is at stake. We will regroup and give everything to defend our title.”
Attention now turns to the Embu 7s, scheduled for 5-6 September, where KCB have been drawn in Pool A alongside Mombasa Rugby, KU Blak Blad, and another team set to be invited by the hosts.The Bankers will be keen to make a strong statement in Embu as they enter the business end of the season, with the battle for the overall circuit title set to intensify in the final two rounds.Simbas backrower on hurdles blocking Kenyan players from overseas transfers