Mixed results for Kenya 7s in USA

The Kenyan team huddles before a game during the USA Rugby Sevens tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 13, 2015. PHOTO | ISAAC BREKKEN |

What you need to know:

  • All to play for as Friday’s results leave Pool B wide open
  • Billy Odhiambo scored the winning try as Kenya Sevens rallied from behind to edge out Canada 22-21 before losing to Argentina 14-19.
  • Kenya, coached by Felix Ochieng, must beat England Sunday morning in their last Pool B match if they hope to make it to the Cup quarter-finals.

Kenya Sevens complicated their chances of reaching main Cup quarter-finals of the US leg of the World Rugby Sevens tournament in Las Vegas on Friday after posting mixed results.

Billy Odhiambo scored the winning try as Kenya Sevens rallied from behind to edge out Canada 22-21 before losing to Argentina 14-19.

Kenya, coached by Felix Ochieng, must beat England Sunday morning in their last Pool B match if they hope to make it to the Cup quarter-finals.

England beat Argentina 19-17 but faltered against the Canadians 12-15 to throw the pool wide open.

Kenya could have won the match at the dead when they got a penalty inside Argentina’s 22 metres area  but wrong option of swinging the ball wide saw skipper Andrew Amonde go down to concede a penalty that the Pumas kicked out for the match to end.

It’s Franco Sabato who left  Kenya trailing from the outset. The Pumas were 14-0 up after Nicolas Coronel cashed in on Kenya’s defensive flaws to sneak through for centre post try. But a good workout from inside Kenya’s 22m saw Oscar Ayodi weave through some tackles with good side-steps before sprinting over 50 metres for the try that Lavin Asego converted. Kenya went for the drinks training 7-14.

The Pumas drew the Kenyans close before Sabato weaved through the middle to score a try and put his team 19-7 ahead, but  Kenya would strike deep as a missed tackle saw speedster Billy Odhiambo go clear.

Kenya then went on the offensive, getting a penalty inside Pumas’ 22m. They had an easy option of attacking but Asego swung the ball wide as Amonde fumbled to give out the penalty.

Kenya fell behind 14-0 against Canada but Michael Wanjala and Dan Sikuta hit back and Asego converted one as Kenya trailed 12-14 at the break. Sean White went through for a quick try to put the Canadians ahead 21-12 but Sikuta reduced the deficit at 17-21 before Odhiambo’s last-gasp winning try.

RESULTS:

POOL A: Fiji 28 Wales 24, New Zealand 15 Samoa 5, Fiji 36 Samoa 0, New Zealand 40 Wales 7.

POOL B: Kenya 14 Argentina 19, England 12 Canada 15, Kenya 22 Canada 21, England 19 Argentina 17.

POOL C: USA 19 Portugal 7, South Africa 42 Japan 5, USA 52 Japan 12, South Africa 19 Portugal 0.

POOL D: Australia 45 Brazil 0, Scotland 7 France 19, Scotland 38 Brazil 14, Australia 31 France 14.