Kabras RFC have been crowned 2024/25 Kenya Cup Champions marking the fourth consecutive title following a 27-26 win over Menengai Oilers at Kakamega Showground.
The Sugarmen have now won 41 consecutive matches in Kenya Cup and have bagged five Kenya Cup titles. They have joined Nondies, KCB and Impala on list ot 4-peat winners.
Kabras RFC tries
Two tries in the first half and another in the second were enough to hand the Millers a fourth title in a row, with Oilers scoring two of their own in the second stanza
With skies starting to pour on and around the mythical Kakamega Forest, Oilers were finding early territorial success, Timothy Omela missing a chance to get the scoreboard going as his kick from way out fell short allowing Dukisa to find touch around the halfway line.
Kabras would turn over possesion from an Oilers maul before forcing a penalty in the resulting scrum to get out of their territory once again, the second time now ten minutes into the clash.
An Omela miskick would shift possesion to Kabras before the referee would call it back for an Oilers offside in the play leading to a Kabras knock on. Dukisa would slot in the kick from inside the 22 mark for the game’s first points. A narrow 3-0 lead for the home team with a quarter of an hour already played at this point.
Another spell of possesion for the sugarmen would attract a penalty outside the 22 only for Dukisa to drill it wide to the right as Oilers upped the tempo, first through Onsomu who used the tempo to sell a dummy at the base of the ruck on the left before Samuel Ovwamu made a monstrous run that would be stopped by a covering Barry Robinson.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
- Why Patrick Odongo Okong’o feels indebted
- List of rugby prospects from high school
- Colman Were keen to redefine Kenyan rugby’s physical edge
- Follow Scrummage Africa on Facebook
Oilers would trade continued pressure for a penalty infront of the posts, Omela making no mistake to pull the Nakuru based outfit level, 3-3 now as possesion swang the Millers’ way.
Kabras would score points next in an exhilarating style, skipper George Nyambua making a massive carry in the center before Cantona released Grifgin Chao on the outside to carry it into Oilers’ 22 to force a penalty, George Nyambua dotting down from the back of the maul from the resulting lineout. Dukisa making no mistake in adding the extra twos for a 10-3 lead.
Omela in true Omela would show why he commands so much respect matters goal kicking with a monstrous 45 meter kick to cut the deficit to just four points,10-6 now.
Dukisa would uncharacteristically miss a second penalty from maybe 30 yards out before Sifuna lost the ball in contact allowing before poor fielding allowed Oilers possesion on the five meter mark. Omela would slot in another penalty to make it a one point game from the resulting penalty, 10-9 now.
Kabras would hit immediately, Patrick Sabatia retrieving the restart before Sifuna wrecked through the middle, Dukisa holding the ball enough for Omela to overshoot before releasing Cantona who needed to step inside to score. Dukisa’s attempt from out wide succesful to make it 17-9 in favour of the defending champions at the break.
The Millers were the quicker team off the blocks, retrieving the restart to play the next five minutes in the Oilers 22, Walter Okoth running onto a short ball from Barry from a five meter scrum, brushing off Onsomu before letting his momentum take him over the whitewash, Dukisa with the easiest of kicks to make it 24-9.
A mistimed kick by Dukisa would allow swing possesion to Oilers who after long spells of possesion in the Kabras red zone would settle for a three pointer to half the deficit, scores 24-12 now.
A poor clearance kick by Cantona would allow Oilers to catch The Millers on the transition, Abutwalib Wesonga slicing through two green jerseys before releasing Samuel Ovwamu who made easy work of a covering Tanga to score Oilers’ first try of the match, Omela adding the extra twos to pull the game to within a try, 24-19 now.
Kabras RFC kick
Dukisa then took Kabras’s lead to eight points from the boot, scores 27-19 as Kabras struggled to maintain their earlier rhythm with under a quarter an hour of play left.
Substitute Elkeans Musonye would score from the back of the scrum to make it a one point game with minutes left to play, scores now 27-26.
Kabras would then hold on for Tanga to kick out the footy for a fourth succesfull Kenya Cup victory.
