At the RFUEA Grounds last weekend we were given a glimpse of a competitive action we can expect at the same venue when Kenya Simbas face-off with EP Elephants in the Currie Cup slated for Saturday.
The much-anticipated showpiece is also set to put a full stop to thrilling Currie Cup matches which started in April.
How the host country has fared at Currie Cup
Since the Currie Cup Division One matches kicked off in April, Kenya Simbas have managed two wins, 35-12 against bottom-placed Border Bulldogs, and the most recent 51-35 triumph over Leopards. The Simbas failed to roar against Falcons (51-44), Zimbabwe Goshawks (22-21), Griffons (66-33), Boland Cavaliers (43-33), and South Western District (24-7).
However, with the home advantage, confidence is high that they can do the country proud and perform above what they achieved on Saturday –with significant backing from home-based fans.
Who’s in the Simbas squad?
The headline news surrounds the return of Kenya 7s star Collins Injera, who makes a comeback since the World Cup Repechage in 2018. Experienced Injera will be looking forward to using his pace to lead Simbas past the Elephants. Another key component in Paul Odera’s squad is Jacob Ojee. Ojee feature in the opening matches in South Africa.
Head Coach Paul Odera has also named atalented scrum-half Samuel Asati who plays his club rugby for KCB Rugby. It is now more than two years since Asati made his 15’s debut in September 2019, during a 31-16 victory over Zambia at RFUEA Grounds. Asati is tasked to deliver half-back services with Dominic Coulson.
Other players like Vincent Onyala, George Nyambua, and Teddy Akala are well capable of leading Simbas past Leopards. View full squad
Since their win last weekend, the Simbas have been confident and the mood in the camp has been ‘buoyant’ as Paul Odera describes, ‘It’s been a fantastic week, obviously with every win there’s always the confidence that comes into the team and after last week’s performance, the mood in the camp has been buoyant as expected and it has been quite a challenge to point out to the boys that there is still a lot to do.’
Elephants run
For Elephants, securing a seventh win would not only wrap up a second position on the log but would also be a considerable marker ahead of their semi-final fixture on Friday.
