Kenya 7s in London seeking fitting end to a rich season

The national rugby sevens team is out for a resounding conclusion to a season they have re-ignited hope during the final round of the 2015-16 HSBC World Series in London this weekend.

Benjamin Ayimba, the coach who led the side to the 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup semi-finals in 2009, was fished from his armchair to take over the side that had sunk to the abyss at the end of the previous season where they finished only three places above the relegation places.

Ayimba who is credited with turning the outfit from series whipping boys to serious contenders has brought the side to within four points of matching their record tally of 99 set in the roaring 2012-13 campaign under the celebrated Englishman, Mike Friday.

The Olympics season has seen teams in the circuit intensify completion. During Friday’s landmark season, 99 points lifted the team to fifth in the standings, their best positions but Ayimba’s boys are in seventh, 12 points behind Argentina heading to London.

It means Kenya must win a second Main Cup of the season following their Singapore 7s triumph in the eighth round for them to overhaul the Pumas but Shujaa have set themselves a modest target after their run ended with a Plate semi-final loss in Paris last weekend.

They will start their London charge on Saturday at 11.52 am local time (+3GMT) with a match against Portugal in the famous Twickenham Stadium that is the spiritual home of rugby in the nation that invented the game.

This will be a repeat of the last round in Paris where Kenya pulled a fascinating comeback to win their opening match 24-14 against the Portuguese who are out for retribution.

”We have seen how world Rugby is difficult and having  played against  them like every outing we go out to play World Series we can see that Portugal are cutting down deficit in terms of points and we have been able to score against them,” Ayimba said in the run-up to the season finale.

Kenya will play their second match against 11th placed Scotland at 2.58 pm, before concluding their last group match against France, who knocked them out of the Main Cup semis in their home tournament at 6.04 pm.

“Scotland has been misfiring and this is like home for them so we are expecting trouble against them,” Ayimba, a pioneer sevens player in his heyday added.

France blanked Shujaa 24-5 and Kenya are motivated to go for the team that is 20 points adrift in the standings in 10th place after what was considered as an upset.

“France played well last weekend at home finishing third, so we are expecting stiff competition from them,” the ever-guarded head coach offered in public but inside, he must be boiling to do one over the French.

He declared Willy Ambaka who was rested after suffering a knock in Paris would be available for selection as he seeks to add on to his four tries at the penultimate leg.

Captain Andrew Amonde echoed his coach’s held view of keeping a lid over huge expectations that soured after their historic Singapore 7s win, a first for Kenya at the elite global circuit.

After scoring two tries in the France, speedster Collins Injera needs three in London to surpass Santiago Gomez Cora from Argentina who is the all time top scorer in the Series.

Kenya needs to at least make the London Plate Semis to surpass the record haul set by after collecting 10 points in France before focus turns to the Olympics where rugby sevens will mark its debut in Rio.

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Benjamin Ayimba Andrew Amonde Kenya 7s William Ambaka

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