Wellington 7s: Kenya brace for tough Tonga, US

Retribution and physical display take centre stage on Friday morning when Kenya take on Tonga, United States of America and defending champions England at Wellington Sevens, the third leg of the International Rugby Board World Sevens Circuit.

Tonga are bubbling for outright revenge against Benjamin Ayimba’s charges in a battle that gets under way at 4:06am East African Time. The two giants met in the preliminaries at last year’s Wellington Sevens when the Kenyans carried the day 21-14.

The showdown between Kenya and the USA has always been too close to call but the Kenyans are slightly favourites in their duel that will kick off at 7:02am. Last year, USA had the better of Kenya’s Shujaa, winning 14-7 in Cup quarters at San Diego, but the Kenyans turned the tables on the Americans, winning 19-12 at Hong Kong Sevens and 33-0 in London.

The duel will then pave the way for the pool’s grand battle, in which Kenya is eyeing nothing short of revenge against the Britons, at 11:12am. It is England who halted Kenya’s charge to the final with a clinical 26-0 success in the Wellington Cup semi-finals.

England went ahead to win the Cup, their first in IRB Sevens rugby for coach Ben Ryan, who now has his sights on a rare double in front of a notoriously partisan crowd. The loss to England was undeniably understood since the Kenyans were still celebrating their 22-17 victory over South Africa in the preliminaries. It was their first ever victory against the Springbok in the history of the decade-old Circuit.

Day in the sun

Kenya’s day in the sun against England was to dawn at London Sevens. Not only did the visitors tame their former colonial masters 21-14 but did it in style at their Twickenham Rugby Stadium backyard. “Our meetings with England and USA have always been close over the years, with either side emerging triumphant,” said Ayimba.

Ayimba said his side is focused ahead of the highly physical encounters. “Of course the long stay away from home has weighed down on the players and sometimes the spirit deeps when they realise how much longer they are away,” said Ayimba.

“However, they have seen the need to be mentally strong as well as strategise on how to take control of the contact points and then use our pace as usual and score tries.”

Ayimba disclosed that their appearance at Darwin’s Hottest 7s and a week-long stay at a high performance training centre in Australia has helped bridge the defensive lapses and ball handling slips that occurred in the opening legs in Dubai and George. Team skipper Humphrey Kayange noted that morale is high in the team and that every player is upbeat about the showdown.

Good hunting ground

“Wellington has always been a good hunting ground and home away from home; hence our intentions are obvious,” Kayange said. England’s Ryan reckons that the pool just looks tougher and tougher the more you look at it. “Tonga and the US have been playing at the Suva Rugby Festival in festival and Kenya have also had a run-out in Darwin,” he said. “They are three very good sides.”

Pools

A: New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Niue;
B: Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Papua New Guinea;
C: Kenya, USA, Tonga;
D: Samoa, Argentina, France, Canada

Order of play (East African Time):

3:00am Samoa v France, 3:12am Argentina v Canada, 3:44am England v USA, 4:06am Kenya v Tonga, 4:28am Fiji v Scotland, 4:50 Australia v Papua New Guinea; 5:12am New Zealand v Wales, 5:34am South Africa v Niue; 5:56am Samoa v Canada; 6:18am Argentina v France; 6:40am England v Tonga; 7:02am Kenya v USA; 7:24am Fiji v Papua New Guinea; 7:46am Australia v Scotland; 8:08am New Zealand v Niue; 8:30am South Africa v Wales; 8:52am France v Canada; 9:14am USA v Tonga; 9:36am Scotland v Papua New Guinea; 9:58am Wales v Niue; 10:50 Samoa v Argentina; 11:12 England v Kenya; 11:34 Fiji v Australia; 11:36 New Zealand v South Africa