Kenya Simbas eye winning start in Repechage qualifier

The national 15s rugby team Kenya Simbas hope for improved scrum and defence as they face Canada in their 2019 Rugby World Cup Repechage qualifier opening match on Sunday in Marseille, France.

Back-row Davis Chenge, who led the Simbas in all five of their Africa Rugby Gold Cup matches this year, only experiencing defeat in the final game against Namibia, reckoned that their build up match against Romania last Sunday came with great lessons.

The Simbas went down 36-5 in Bucharest.

Kenya take on the Canadians at 3pm before facing Hong Kong at the same time on November 17. They will then wrap up against Germany on November 23 at 8pm.

Hong Kong will face Germany in the other match on Sunday at 6pm in the championship that will be played in the round-robin format.

“We had not faced such quality opposition since the Gold Cup and the duel against Romania brought out our weak points,” said Chenge. “We needed to really work on our scrums which we did as well as rectify our defence... We are ready for Canada.”

Chenge expects a tough battle of forwards but hastened that: “There's no other way to deal with the forwards battle other than to match up and contain them. We shall then play our systems as we have planned.”

Chenge, who took part in the 2015 World Cup qualifiers that has proved quite emotional to date, said victory in France will forever change the game’s landscape in the country.

“The Simbas qualification for the Rugby World Cup, I believe, will change everything for Kenya rugby,” said Chenge, who will also bank on good weather to perform.

“The weather is good though windy at times. Hope the wind won't affect us that much,” explained Chenge adding that memories of the 2014 qualifiers where Kenya missed the World Cup by a whisker should inspire them.

Canada has played in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural 1987 tournament, always qualifying during the first round. However, this time round, they have been forced to go through the Repechage after they failed to qualify during the first two rounds.

But Aaron Carpenter, Canada’s most-capped player in history, told World Rugby that he is confident the Canucks will book the final ticket to Japan 2019 and take their place alongside defending champions New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Namibia in Pool B.

“Since spending three weeks with the team (as an assistant coach) at the Americas Pacific Challenge, I can see how much hard work has been going on behind the scenes.

“It would be a real setback if Canada didn’t make it to the World Cup. But all of Canadian rugby is 100 per cent behind the boys and I have complete faith that the current team of coaches, medical staff and players involved in the Repechage will get the job done.”