Kenya Cup action enters the closing stages with three matches on the cards tomorrow. Kenya Commercial Bank host Impala in the headline fixture whilst Mwamba cross the highway to bottom placed Mean Machine. The last match has Strathmore at home to Nondescripts. Harlequins and Nakuru will not play their match this weekend.
KCB/Impala will be fairly balanced in the forwards, but I give KCB the edge in this division. They may come to rue their inability to utilise that platform as Impala will have the edge in the backs. With the stakes as high as they are, I believe Impala will come away with this one, just due to magnitude of the match and their ability to settle at that level. Impala by 8. Mwamba will beat Machine but not with as high a score as last time, I put it by a solitary score. Strathmore/Nondies looks on paper to be another tight one, but from being number two in the league for some weeks, Strathmore just can't seem to find their feet. Nondies by 10 on this one.
On the Kenya Sevens I wish them well and based on their much improved performances today, I believe they can take the Bowl Competition.
Kenya Harlequins will however play an international friendly against the Warringah Rats from Australia. I can't comment much on this but the Rats will be playing barely twenty four hours after a long trip. Their game will however be a testament to organisation and systems and a lesson for us all. If Quins get awed and watch this, they will lose. However, Quins have been building up steam and this will be a warm up for them for the last three and toughest matches of the league. I therefore believe the match will be a contest and I give this to Rats by 5.
Do have a good day and enjoy your rugby.
7 Comments:
I'll keep it short and sharp
KCB vs Impala
KCB by 10. As I said last week,Impala are getting worse as days go by.
Machine vs Mwamba
Surprise of the weekend. I see Machine winning this one by 5 or more. Mwamba have caputilated under the pressure of playing consistently well.This could be the last weekend Machine spend at the bottom of the league.
Nondies vs Strathmore
The white shirts will add on to the misery the young lads have had to endure. Strath are my relegation favourites.
Quins vs Warringah
Quins by 20. The Kenya Cup champions are in terrific shape and will beat a team that will struggle with the hot African sun and the altitude in Nairobi.
I dont really want to talk Kenya 7s. But they will end up trophyless.
Impala will lose this and the by extension the boardroom favour they are looking for in order to put pressure on the league leaders.
Mwamba by 10,Strath will win this one as their coach smiles all the way to the sevens headcoach position.
Quins over the rats by a very tight margin 10-11.
So Kim the conditioning guy has shown his hand again on the improved Kenya sevens team! I see many more doors including foreign ones opening for this guy since he's never appreciated by the union.Flambouyant he might be but his job is there for everyone to see.Quins will say we told you so.
My take,
a) KCB vs Impala - This will be a hard fought game with tempers spilling over time and time again. The two teams have anger and discipline issues and quite a few cards will be flashed. KCB will grind out a not very pretty victory. No bonus point for either side
b) Machine vs Mwamba - This will be carried by the team that has more to lose. Mwamba have retreated to their ' our stars are gone zone' and will collapse and allow Machine to slip off with a victory here. Machine by less than 5 points
c) Nondies vs Strathmore - The team that has bigger rugby pedigree will carry the game here. Strathmore, that is not you. This is a game that will be won by simple rugby. Nondies have sufficient structure to create a few phases while Strathmore play a more erratic style of rugby that will become unstuck in this one. Narrow victory for Nondies
d) Quins vs Warringah Rats - Tight fought game and a real game of two halves. Quins with the advantage of being used to the heat and altitude will have the legs to close the half time deficit and make off with a narrow victory
Quick takes:
KCB vs Impala: KCB has tried and true forward play, whereas Impala has been struggling in this department. On the other hand Impala backs have made good use of any kind of ball they get, but KCB backs have lacked polish in both defence and attack. If the KCB forwards keep it real tight and very aggressive, something will come out of the ball they produce. KCB by single digits.
Mwamba vs Machine: Mwamba have been a pale shadow of their first leg selves while Machine has been putting some structure in their play. As it's an all-or-relegation scenario, Machine will have the goods as well as the incentive to get on top of this one. Machine by 15.
Nondies vs Strathmore: This one will be decided by the team that comes to the party believing in themselves. As this has been an opposition-dependant thing for Nondies, and a random one for Strath, one can litterally toss a coin on this one. Not worthy of any comment/prediction.
Quins vs Warringah: The elements have been mentioned as a factor in this game, but only altitude will factor as Sydney at this time of year has an average 39C whereas Nairobi averages 28C. The Aussies will find Nairobi chilly! Altitude is a different thing altogether. They will have the same gasping problem of teams from Mombasa traveling upcountry.
The Rats are a big and very structured side (even by Australian standards), who have been training for this tour since early December! They are currently hovering around the mid-table in the Sydney-area league.
Quins also have quite a bit of weight/strength on their side and can be just as structured but, in comparison, play a more open type of Rugby.
This one will go to the team that keeps up concentration, power levels, and work rate for 80 minutes, and that will be Quins. A 10 point thriller win for the home side.
KCB 32 IMPALA 14.
IMPALA BURE KABISA
Got one out of the four predictions wrong. Must be slipping in my analysis
a) KCB vs Impala - Impala were played off the park and looked beaten and at best dispirited right from the get go. All that talking on Facebook and chest thumping must be taking a toll on them
b) Machine vs Mwamba - was spot on with this one. Machine are slowly getting some structure into their play and are determined to fight relegation with all they have. Mwamba need to come out of that self defeating zone they retreat into when their galacticos go globetrotting
c) Nondies vs Strathmore - this one stumped me. Good victory for Strathmore, total capitulation by Nondies. Excuses given by some of their following was that they had no backs. You read what you may into that. I think they simply have lost direction and heart. This is one club that needs some regeneration.
d) Quins vs Warringah Rats - Quins are now setting the standards for several things in and out of the pitch. The rugby was great with the young guns playing with gusto and looking like they were having great fun. The spread laid out for the after game function was admirable. Those of us who were not lucky enough to get invites could only look on enviously as the whole ox rotated on a spit. Let's see the KRU beat that next week
Have a great week
Weekend review:
KCB show what they're capable of when they believe. Add to that Impala's newfound cluelessness and you have a whipping on your hands. Well done KCB.
Nondies. What's there to say? Their delusions of grandeur led them to assume that Strath were the weaker side and saw some of their better players sit this game out. It is this unwarranted arrogance that cost them, whereas Strath came and played as hard as they could with all the (limited) tools at heir disposal. The moral of the story: a Strath bird on the pitch beats the bird from the Nondies history books!
Machine. Well done lads! If there ever was proof that hard work pays and a positive attitude brings rewards, this game is it! Mwamba recycled old school rugby with a fading player base, and that always comes unstuck when superlative players are not there to cover the cracks in that 90's style of play.
Quins. The court jesters put on an awesome show of physicality and skill to blitz the visiting Warringah Rats. The visitors choked on the altitude as predicted, but not even rolling subs could help against Quins' superior athleticism. Well done Quins.
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