Kabras head coach Carlos Katywa feels the 2023 Kenya Cup final set for Saturday 11 March in Kakamega will be a different final, from all the finals pitting the Sugarmen against KCB Rugby.
In an interview with Scrummage Africa, the tactician emphasized that his team must perform better than they did in their 29-23 win against KCB in the regular season if they intend to defend the title they won against Menengai Oilers last season.
Katywa acknowledged that, while the triumph over KCB demonstrated their determination to retain the title this year, it also created expectations for the team, who will now be viewed as the favorites heading into the upcoming match.
“This (final) will be different from all the other finals we’ve played against KCB because we are going into the finals against them, having beaten them in the regular season,” he said.
“As I said before, beating KCB at Ruaraka was a nice and historical event but it brought about pressure on the team because KCB are coming to Kakamega knowing we beat them and the pressure is piling on us to replicate the same determination that we showed in Nairobi. That being said, we are up to it and we are ready for it,” he added.
Kabras sailed to yet another Kenya Cup final, their eighth consecutive final, with a 22-8 win against Kenya Harlequins over the weekend.
Although Katywa expressed dissatisfaction with his charges displayed in the semi-final encounter, he said the result is what mattered, as they seek to correct their mistakes ahead of the finals.
“The game was a very tight encounter. The second week in a row we didn’t start well but the boys stuck to their character and looked very determined. Our goals and values coupled up with the principles that we have set for ourselves came into play once again, and it pushed and drove us to the win,” he said.
