Kenya 7s ended their Perth 7s campaign in 10th place following a hard-fought 19-12 defeat to New Zealand in the ninth-place playoff.
This match mirrored their group stage encounter, where New Zealand had emerged victorious with a 29-14 win. Kenya was determined to seek revenge, but ultimately fell short.
Kenya 7s concede
New Zealand struck first, with quick offloads inside their own 22 setting up Regan Ware, who sprinted clear to score the opening try. Andrew Knewstubb added the conversion, giving New Zealand a 7-0 lead.
Kenya responded through their speedster, Patrick Odongo, who seized a gap on the left side after picking the ball from a ruck. He outpaced his marker to score, with Antony Mboya adding the conversion to level the scores at 7-7.
At halftime, Kenya led 12-7, thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Vincent Onyala. Coming off the bench, Onyala broke through on the right side, fending off his marker and diving into the corner for a try.
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The second half saw New Zealand reclaim the lead. Despite Kenya’s solid defensive effort, Frank Vaenuku’s clever play, combined with a link-up between Ware and Knewstubb, saw the latter score a try, which Knewstubb converted for a 14-12 advantage.
New Zealand extended their lead further when Dan Colier crossed over at the corner, though they were unable to convert.
Kenya 7s late attempt
Kenya nearly responded, as a kick behind New Zealand’s defense was chased down by Floyd Wabwire.
However, after a review, the referee ruled no try, as Wabwire had not grounded the ball in time. The match ended with the final whistle, handing New Zealand the win and leaving Kenya to settle for 10th place.
