Mwamba RFC are set for Kenya Cup return after a season in the cold.Ahead of their sensational return, the team’s head coach Paul Murunga has identified defence, player development and conditioning as the key areas the club must address.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsThe side bowed out of the Floodies title contention after suffering a 64-11 defeat to KCB Rugby in the semifinals, having secured a 29-16 victory over Strathmore Leos in the quarterfinals.Despite the heavy loss to the Bankers, Murunga believes the tournament has provided valuable lessons for his newly promoted side as they prepare for the challenges of top-flight rugby.“To me, it is a plus. There are several things we need to fix before we start the Kenya Cup, including defence, encouraging some of the players we think are weak in the team, and improving our conditioning. Then we are on for the season,” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_10062779##Although Mwamba struggled against the more experienced KCB side, Murunga was pleased with his players' determination, insisting that their ability to remain competitive throughout the match was more important than the final scoreline.“We lost it, but the fight was there. That is what we had asked from our players: that they give a good fight. The scores do not matter, but what matters is that we stay in the fight the whole game. They did that, and in the second half, the scores were much less,” he added.Mwamba managed to cross the try line and add a conversion and a penalty against the bankers, with Murunga taking encouragement from the team's performance despite the one-sided result.New Menengai Oilers coach not losing sleep over loss of 5 key playersThe coach also pointed to the club's recent promotion from the Championship as an important factor in assessing their progress, noting that their latest encounter with KCB offered a useful measure of the gap they must bridge.“Remember, this is a team that has just been promoted from the Championship into the Kenya Cup, and according to the statistics, the last time these teams played together in the Kenya Cup, they conceded even more points than what they conceded on Saturday.I am proud of the boys. They played their hearts out, as much as it looked like it was one-sided, but they can always improve. Another big step is playing in the Impala Floodlights semifinals, something that we have not done for a while,” he said.With the Kenya Cup campaign approaching, Murunga has made it clear that Mwamba's primary objective will be to survive in the top flight.Brian Wahinya opens up on mental strength after Kenya Cup final disappointmentThe coach wants his team to collect crucial victories early in the season to avoid being dragged into a difficult relegation battle towards the end of the campaign.“The main goal is to stay in the Kenya Cup, which means we have to win some of the games early enough before we get into the last games of the season. That is our aim, basically. KCB is a litmus test. Playing KCB or Kabras in the 15s game is always a big test,” he noted.While defensive organisation and player development remain priorities, he believes conditioning is an area the team can improve before the Kenya Cup kicks off. Specmagic reveals what makes Kenyan rugby uniqueHe pointed to rest, nutrition, hydration and mental preparation as essential components of the process.“We can easily fix conditioning. A lot of things come into play: rest, nutrition and hydration, and the mental aspect. It can be easily done before the Kenya Cup starts,” he said.Mwamba will have another opportunity to assess their readiness when they face Nondies RFC in the Impala Floodlights third-place playoff slated for Saturday, 31 October at the Impala Grounds.