Blow to Simbas as Chisanga set to miss Hong Kong clash

Kenya Simbas will be without powerhouse Joshua Chisanga when they tackle hosts Hong Kong on Saturday in their final match of the Four Nations Cup tournament.

The gigantic forward was stretched off in their 35-10 whipping by Russia at the Kings Park Sports Ground on Tuesday.

It was however expected that the charging forward could recover in time for the weekend showdown but the Kenya Rugby Union has said that Chisanga will play no part in the game.

Simbas head coach Jerome Paarwater said: “Joshua will be out on Saturday…this is a big blow for us. His knee doesn’t look too good and he may be out for a while. It’s unfortunate to lose him but we are fortunate enough not to have too many injuries. This boils down to how we have managed the squad and used the guys off the bench,” head coach Jerome Paarwater said in an interview with the union’s media team.

His position is likely to be filled by unused Martin Owillah of KCB as the Simba look to bounce from the double losses.

This tie will be the third meeting between two teams; having already locked horns in July and September.

Simbas 10-31 defeat to Russia at the Regal Hotels Cup of Nations in Hong Kong on Tuesday was their second defeat in a row after losing 23-3 to rivals Chile.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Simbas rankings dropped from position 27 to 29 after the recent two consecutive losses.

A 23-3 loss to Chile and a 31-10 thumping by big boys Russia in Hong Kong triggered the downfall.

Kenya now have their work clearly cut out and will have to record positive results against Hong Kong if they are to habour any hopes of scaling the rankings.

However, despite the downfall, Kenya is still the third highest ranked African team after heavyweights South Africa and Namibia who are placed fourth and 21^st respectively.

Chile are the biggest climbers, moving to position 27.