Simba XVs stay put at 24 despite Namibia mauling

Kenya Simba XVs held on to number 24 in the latest World Rugby rankings despite their 56-21 mauling at the hands of champions Namibia in their Confederation of Africa Rugby (CAR) Division 1A clash at Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek last weekend.

The Simbas three-match winning streak was brought to an end when the back-to-back continental champions gave the Kenyans a harsh lesson in the first half to all but snuff out their chances of clinching the crown for the first time since 2011.

After losing to Namibia, the team arrived in the country on Sunday evening and quickly shifted focus on the return leg of their Elgon Cup clash against Uganda on July 30.

After their assignment in Windhoek, Fabian Olando has been ruled out of the Simbas remaining tests against Uganda and the two match series against Hong Kong in Nairobi in August.

The Kabras utility back sustained a knee injury last weekend and is set to undergo further tests.

Mwamba back-row Dan Sikuta who scored one of the three tries in their loss away to the team ranked second in Africa said that they learned a lot of positive things which they intend to rectify before their coming games.

“Tough lesson we learnt from Namibia and we’ll use it against Uganda next weekend but one. We have discussed with the boys, during the first half we need to start stronger. Even when we played Brazil we did our best in the second half and so we need to work on something in the first and the second half will come our way”

Kenya plays their return leg of their Elgon Cup clash against Uganda on July 30.

Jerome Paarwaters men season started when KCBs forward Darwin Mukidza hat-trick demolished hosts Uganda Cranes 48-10 in the first leg of the Elgon in Kampala last month.

This was followed by a narrow win away to Brazil 18 – 17 in a nail-biting World Rugby Test match in Macapa resulting to rise in the World Rugby rankings to number 24 from 27.

Simbas then demolished Zimbabwe Sables 61-15 in Harare getting their biggest away victory since August 2, 2003 when they annihilated Botswana 80-9 in Gaborone before Namibia caged the lions in Windhoek last weekend.