Rugby

HSBC Playoffs: Shujaa's campaign off to a perfect start after dispatching Samoa

Shujaa © Olympics KE on X

By Rama Mohammed and Terry Muriuki | Friday, May 31, 2024

Kenya7s is aiming to secure a top four position in the playoffs to secure promotion back to the HSBC 7s.

The Kenya 7s national team, Shujaa, started their HSBC Sevens Grand Final on a positive note by defeating Samoa 19-12 in their first Pool B match in Madrid, Spain.

Shujaa, who are on the verge of qualifying for the World Rugby 7s Series after being demoted last year, held the lead twice before being equalised at halftime, but ultimately managed to secure a victory.

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Kevin Wambua's team are now second in Pool B, with hosts Spain in control at the helm.

Patrick Odongo's two tries proved to be the deciding factor in the win. Odongo's try count increased to 12 during the Challenger Series. The victory marked the first time Shujaa have defeated Samoa since 2019.

Shujaa began the game strongly, dominating possession in the opening minutes. Samoa continued to apply pressure on the Kenyans, who eventually gave in, allowing Samoa to gain possession.

Vincent Onyala made a crucial interception in the third minute, leaving the crowd in a frenzy as he sprinted towards the try line to secure the first points of the match.

A winning start! #Shujaa #SportpesaNaShujaa #SVNSMAD pic.twitter.com/atQ1H0Ma0b
— Shujaa (@KenyaSevens) May 31, 2024

The captain successfully scored, increasing the team's score to 7-0.

Kenyans were inspired by the attempt and managed to score another goal, thanks to Odongo's impressive speed. Asati assisted Odongo in scoring a try, but unfortunately, the conversion was missed, resulting in a score of 12-0.

Samoa received a wake-up call when they scored their first try, showing that they were performing better than expected. After their hard work, they managed to score two back-to-back tries and successfully converted one, resulting in a tied score of 12-12 at halftime.

In the second half, Wambua's team managed to score another try, thanks to Odongo. In the final moments of the match, scrum half Samuel Asati of Kenya received a yellow card. Despite having a numerical advantage, Samoa was unable to take advantage of the situation. As a result, Kenya secured their first win in the playoff.

Shujaa aims to continue their success as they face Spain, the host team, at 10:18 pm. Their pool campaign will conclude with a match against Chile on Saturday at 8:18pm.