Kenya 15s team targets Uganda scalp in hunt for Rugby Africa Gold Cup points

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-02 22:16:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya 15s team will shift its focus to the next opponent in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup campaign with Uganda coming up next this Saturday in Nairobi.

Kenya side, Simbas, are second in the six-team standing having played one game less than the top team Namibia.

Kenya has dismissed both Zimbabwe and Morocco and will be entertaining Uganda next in Nairobi in a match that the host will seek to hit two birds with one stone.

Whereas the two teams will be out to settle an old score in the regional Elgon Cup, it will also double up as another round of the Rugby Africa Gold Cup campaign.

Other teams in the campaign are champions Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Morocco and Tunisia.

The two neighbors will be meeting in their repeat regional Elgon Cup clash in which Kenya holds a slim 34-24 lead after edging out Uganda Cranes in Kampala last month.

With the match doubling up as the third round for Kenya in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup, head coach Ian Snook has warned his team, there will be no room for complacence.

"The matches are coming in fast and furious and this will stretch the team to the limit. Uganda, just like Zimbabwe, brings a different challenge in that they are a fast, speedy side on the outside and are big and strong upfront.

They will pose a different challenge to what we had in Morocco. We are anticipating a fairly strong game from them," said Snook, Monday in Nairobi.

It will be Kenya's second home fixture, coming off the heels of their 45-36 victory over Zimbabwe at the same venue last Saturday.

Kenya also dismissed Morocco in Casablanca, two weeks ago claiming a significant 28-24 win as they bid to claim their maiden ticket to the World Cup in Japan in 2019.

With Kenya playing in Nairobi against Uganda, Zimbabwe, who are coached by South African tactician Peter de Villiers, will be travelling to North Africa to meet Tunisia. The two sides drew in their first round match.

Only Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have been to the World Cup from Africa and coach Snook took up the challenge to help Kenya attain this goal.

With two wins under his belt, it will be hard to puncture the aura of invincibility the team is enjoying at the moment.

Namibia firmed their grip at the top of the six-team standing when they played Morocco's Atlas Lions in Windhoek and beat their opponents 63-07, to earn 15 points in the competition.?

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