Impala RFC sailed through to the Impala Floodlit semi-final after edging Mwamba 24-21 in extra time, following a 21-21 draw in regulation time at the Impala Club on Saturday evening.
Impala came into the clash aiming to replicate last season’s impressive run that saw them reach the final after a lengthy absence. Mwamba, meanwhile, were using the tournament to fine-tune their squad ahead of life in the KRU Championship.
Impala trail at home
Mwamba started brightly, scoring under the posts through Chris Asira, who also added the conversion for a 7-0 lead. Asira then slotted in a drop goal to stretch the advantage to 10-0, a lead that stood for nearly half an hour.
The hosts responded through Patrick Mutuku, who dived over for their opening try after sustained pressure. Quinto Ongo added the extras to narrow the gap to 10-7. Moments later, Mutuku reacted quickest off a ruck, bursting through a disorganized Mwamba defence to score his second try, which Ongo converted to hand Impala a 14-10 lead at the break.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
- List of rugby prospects from high school
- Colman Were keen to redefine Kenyan rugby’s physical edge
- Follow Scrummage Africa on Facebook
- Collins Injera inducted into Fiji’s Rugby Town Walk of Fame
In the second half, Mwamba converted a long-range penalty to cut the deficit to 14-13. Impala extended their lead midway through the half, making it 21-13. Mwamba refused to give up, a penalty reduced the deficit to 21-16 before a late try at the right corner leveled the scores at 21-21 with a minute to play. The missed conversion meant the match went into extra time.
Impala RFC finish off
Extra time was tense, with Ongo missing a kick at goal in the first half of the period. Early in the second half of extra time, Impala earned a penalty, and after a short medical break, Ongo made no mistake with his kick, sealing a dramatic 24-21 victory and sending Impala to the semi-finals , another game decided in extra time after the USIU-Kabete Stallions tie.
