WORLD SEVENS SERIES

Spirited Kenya 7s fall to France, miss out on Hong Kong 7s quarterfinals

Nygel Amaitsa goes over for a Kenya 7s try, PHOTO/ Rugby Afrique

Kenya 7s suffered a 14-7 loss to France in their final group-stage match at the Hong Kong 7s, played at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday.

Despite an improved performance and securing two losing bonus points, Shujaa fell short of the quarterfinals after Spain’s victory over Great Britain sealed their fate, locking them out of the knockout stage.

Kenya 7s run

Shujaa had picked up four points on day one, keeping their quarterfinal hopes alive. However, they needed a positive result in this match to progress to the Cup quarters for the first time this season.

France, despite receiving a yellow card, held firm and capitalized once back to full strength. Simon Désert broke through on the left flank to score a converted try, giving France a 7-0 halftime lead.

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Kenya responded in the second half, with Patrick Odongo spotting a gap and racing through for a center-post try, which was converted to level the scores at 7-7, igniting the crowd.

Shujaa pushed hard for a winning try but met stubborn French resistance. A costly knock-on gifted France possession, and from the resulting scrum, they opted for a kick-and-chase tactic.

Kenya 7s concede

Despite Odongo’s attempt to recover the ball, it fell loose, allowing Mateo Garcia to pounce and score at the stroke of full-time. The conversion sealed France’s 14-7 victory.

Shujaa will return to action at 11:15 AM as they shift focus to their next challenge.

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