Kenya rugby players at a past tournament. [Photo/barakafm.org]
Kenya stayed unbeaten in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup with a 45-25 win over Senegal at the RFUEA Ground on Saturday afternoon.
Steve Sargos put Senegal ahead with an early penalty. Simbas scored through Darwin Mukidza with their first foray into the visitors half and doubled up his try tally to score a touch down..
The ensuing conversion saw the Simbas go 12-3 up.
Senegal’s Mathieu Boscaro’s hard running created a platform for Sargos to touch down. Boscaro’s conversion bringing the score to 12-10, The hosts were forced into an early substitution after Jacob Ojee was injured reolaced by Dennis Muhanji .
Joshua Chisanga would score moments later, breaking free from the line out to touch down as the Simbas went 17-10 up.
The game would then dip into a lull,Senegal disrupting Kenya’s rhythm before Dennis Muhanji went over with Mukidza converting for the 24-10 half time score.
Jerome Paarwater would throw on Curtis Lilako and Phil Ikambili for Dennis Karani and Peter Karia respectively at the start of the second half.
After seeing little possession at the start of the second half, it was a thing of sheer beauty as the Simbas finally stretched the Senegalese with their phase play, Muhanji combining well with Tony Onyango and Leo Seje to eventually set up David Ambunya for the five pointer, Mukidza converting to put the Simbas 31-10 up.
Martin Owila soon replaced Davis Chenge, slotting into the number eight slot with Joshua Chisanga moving to flank.
From a Kenyan infringement, Sargos drilled home a penalty to cut the deficit to 31 -13, Senegal keen on maintaining respectability on the score board.
Senegal unable to cope with the constant pressure, capitulated, replacement hooker Ikambili going over the whitewash, his maiden international try seeing Kenya go 38-13 up after Mukidza’s conversion.
They would expose the Kenyan defense, Georges Mendy touching down after Boscaro’s hard work, Sargos converting to bring the score to 38-20.
The visitors were now seeing a lot more of possession, seeking to expose any chinks in the Kenyan armor as the match proceeded. This was not to be as Kenya retained possession from the line out, Kenny Andola’s quick delivery to Leo Seje creating the opportunity for Mukidza to land his hat trick, Andola converting for a 45-20 score. Mendy soon got his double for Senegal, outpacing Tony Onyango to score down the left wing, a twenty point margin separating the two sides.