Kenya U20 (Chipu) come from behind to win the Barthes Trophy, defeating Zimbabwe’s Junior Sables 28-13 at the Machinery Exchange Stadium in Harare Sports Club.
The victory secures Kenya’s place in the World U20 Trophy in Scotland, marking their third appearance in the event since 2019.
Kenya U20 against odd
This win was particularly sweet for Chipu, as they had previously lost to the Junior Sables in the 2022 and 2023 Barthes Trophy competitions, both held in Nairobi. Kenya entered the tournament as underdogs due to prior defeats and limited preparation time.
Kenya U20 squad in a Barthes Cup event. Photo Courtesy/KRU
The host team, Zimbabwe, applied pressure early on and secured the first try through a line-out and maul. Although the conversion attempt missed, Zimbabwe took a 5-0 lead within the first 10 minutes.
Their lead doubled to 10-0 after 17 minutes when Edward Sigauke scored another try by latching onto a kick, though the conversion was also off target.
Kenya began their comeback five minutes later when a dominant scrum enabled Iddo Kuta to score their first try. James Olela’s successful conversion reduced the gap to 10-7. Despite hooker Bramwel Anekea receiving a yellow card, Chipu maintained their momentum.
The second try for Kenya came from a clever play by Jackson Siketa, who passed the ball to Michael Wamalwa after a beautiful dummy, allowing him to sprint down the field and score.
This time, Olela missed the conversion, but Kenya took the lead for the first time, 12-10. The impressive performance continued with another strong scrum, leading to Patrick Wainana scoring in the right corner for a 17-10 lead. This silenced the crowd as the teams headed into halftime.
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The second half saw Kenya extend their lead when Olela converted a penalty, making it 20-10. Olela later missed two successive penalties, but the Junior Sables struggled to capitalize on these chances. Zimbabwe was reduced to 14 players after Sigauke received a yellow card for a tip tackle.
Action between Kenya U20 and Namibia. PHOTO/Grindstone
In the final 20 minutes, Zimbabwe’s fullback Benoni Nhekairo converted a penalty, bringing the score to 20-13. However, Kenya sealed the game with a try by Andy Cole Omollo, extending their lead to 25-13.
Although Olela missed a penalty attempt, Philip Okeyo successfully kicked a penalty to secure a final score of 28-13, marking a significant win for Chipu.
KENYA U20 RUGBY (CHIPU) SQUAD
1.Darrel Olouch, 2.Bramwel Anekea, 3.Wycliffe Ogutu, 4.Eugene Etale, 5.Clein Okumbi, 6.Willy Tino, 7. Andycole Omolo 8.Iddo Kuta, 9. Patrick Wainana, 10.Jackson Siketi, 11. Daniel Kipchirchir, 12. Philip Okeyo 13. Michael Wamalwa, 14.Brian Kiptanui, 15.James Olela
Replacement: Brian Shile, Geylord Ngasi, Ian Nyandusi, Nathan Tsindoli, Eddy Otieno, Benadict Muiruri, Faran Juma,
