Blak Blad pulled off a shocking 9-8 victory over defending champions KCB Rugby in the late kick-off at Impala Club on Saturday night, ending KCB’s five-year dominance in the Impala Floodlit Tournament.
KCB, winners of the Floodlit title since 2017, were determined to extend their reign but met a determined Blak Blad side that stood firm throughout the contest.
Blak Blad lead
Blak Blad opened the scoring after Kelvin Gathu slotted in a penalty following an infringement by KCB, making it 3-0. Gathu doubled the lead shortly after with another successful penalty, giving Blad a 6-0 advantage.
KCB responded just before halftime, driving over with a powerful maul to score a try in the right corner, reducing the deficit to 6-5.
Blak Blad had chances to extend their lead, but Gathu missed two consecutive penalties. However, he made amends on his third attempt, slotting in another penalty to stretch the lead to 9-5 after KCB’s vice-captain Peter Waitere was shown a yellow card for a late tackle and not wrapping.
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Despite their struggles, Blak Blad frustrated KCB’s efforts, with Gathu narrowly missing both a penalty from the right side and a drop goal attempt.
KCB had opportunities to take the lead, but errors proved costly, including a knock-on during a promising penalty play. Substitutes Samuel Asati, Levy Amunga, and Horus Alela tried to shift momentum, but Alela ended up in the sin bin, compounding KCB’s troubles.
Amunga managed to score a late penalty, bringing KCB within a point at 9-8. The Bankers thought they had won with a last-minute try, but after consulting with the assistant referee, the score was disallowed due to an earlier high tackle against Blak Blad. Instead, the play was called back for a penalty.
Blak Blad held on for the narrow win, securing their place in the Floodlit semifinals and ending KCB’s five-year reign in the tournament.
