Kenya 7s got off to a strong start at the Singapore 7s with a 17-7 victory over Ireland, putting themselves in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals at the Singapore National Stadium.
With no quarterfinal stage in this leg of the HSBC SVNS series, Shujaa now only need a win against France in their final group match, scheduled for 11:00 a.m., to seal a place in the last four.
Kenya 7s fate
Both Kenya and Ireland are already set to feature in the relegation/promotion playoffs in Los Angeles this May after finishing outside the top eight in the series standings.
Ireland came into the match hoping to replicate their impressive run from last season, where they reached the final. They had also edged out Shujaa 19-14 in their last encounter in Vancouver.
Kenya, on the other hand, missed last season’s Singapore action due to relegation but returned to Singapore exactly 3,227 days after their famous tournament win in 2016. Kevin Wambua’s charges were keen to make a statement.
Shujaa flew out of the blocks, with Nygel Amaitsa executing a brilliant show-and-go to slice through the Irish defence for the opening try, which he converted to make it 7-0.
The lead was soon doubled after Kevin Wekesa powered over the line for Kenya’s second try, giving Shujaa a comfortable cushion heading into halftime.
In the second half, Wekesa was sent to the sin bin, but despite being a man down, Kenya held their composure. They won crucial penalties to maintain possession and territory.
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Patrick Odongo capitalized on the pressure, picking the ball from a ruck near the Irish try line to dive over for Kenya’s third try, extending the lead to 17-0 and his tally to 18 tries.
Ireland managed a late consolation try, but it wasn’t enough to stop the East Africans, who held firm to secure the win and top Pool B after the opening round.
