KCB, Kabras, Quins eye Enterprise Cup final
What you need to know:
- Amonde, Onyala back for the bankers
- KCB, Quins, Kabras reveal hand, name strongest possible sides for Saturday’s titanic clashes
Kenya Commercial Bank, Kenya Harlequin and Kabras Sugar have set their sights on a season double when they unleashed their strongest sides possible for the Enterprise Cup semi-finals in Nairobi on Saturday.
KCB, who won successive Enterprise Cups from 2015 to 2017, face Impala Saracens at Impala Sports Club while Quins, who won the diadem last in 2011, take on Kabras Sugar at the adjacent RFUEA grounds.
Defending champions KCB, Kabras Sugar and Quins will also feature in the Kenya Cup semi-finals. The bankers will meet Quins at KCB Ruaraka while Kabras Sugar host Mwamba in Kakamega on May 11.
Impala will miss the services of hooker Daniel Ndome and eighthman Joel Omer, who have been replaced by Edgar Obino and Paul Mutsami, who played off the bench in their 29-24 loss to Quins in the Kenya Cup semi-final play-offs last Saturday.
With Omer out lock Davis Makori now takes over as the deputy captain as scrum-half Samson Onsomu leads the Sarries.
WELCOME BACK
KCB welcome back blind-side flanker Andrew Amonde and winger Vincent Onyala, who were with Kenya Sevens for the Hong Kong and Singapore legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series. They missed the bankers previous duel where they bundled out Nakuru 36-18 in the quarter-finals.
Amonde replaces Peter Waitere who moves to number eight with Rocky Anguko dropping to the banker’s rich bench.
Onyala comes in for Adrian Opondo. However KCB are without influential fullback Darwin Mukidza out for the rest of the season with injury.
KCB have not lost to Impala in two seasons. This season, two teams met in the Impala Floodlit final where the bankers prevailed 20-18 before rolling over the Sarries 25-3 in the Kenya Cup regular season.
Said Impala Saracens backs coach: “We had a good run last weekend against Quins but failed to capitalise when it came to swinging the hammer. We have worked to make sure we execute with confidence.”
Full-strength Kabras Sugar have scrum-half Brian Tanga, flanker Dan Sikuta and fullback Philip Wokorach back as they face Quins who will be without Kenya Sevens star winger William Ambaka, replaced by Daudi Semwami. Quins welcome back Alex Olaba at centre, replacing Frank Wanyama who drops to the bench.
“Quins have improved greatly from the time we beat them 21-3 in February hence we can’t underestimate them,” said Kabras coach Henley du Plessis.
