It was an action-packed, high scoring round six in the Kenya Cup, league leadership again changing hands on a weekend that produced five comprehensive wins and a scintillating deadlock between champions KCB and Western Bulls. Five of the six matches on the cards saw the winning teams score forty or more points against their opponents
Impala 121 Kenya Sharks 10
Resolution Impala Saracens made light work of the Kenya Sharks, posting an improbable 121-10 result over the side from Bungoma and in the process climbing to the top of the league standings as their renaissance continues. The Sharks remained rooted to the bottom, winless and without a point after six rounds of action.
Kabras Sugar 41 Kenya Harlequin 17
Kenya Harlequin started the day on top of the pile and with a 100% record and they were up against Kabras Sugar at the Kakamega Showground. Playing in Kakamega is never a walk in the park, or in this case, a walk in the showground and the result after 80 or so odd minutes proved so. Kabras starting the calendar year with a 41-17 win over the hitherto unbeaten side, apt revenge for the 19-17 loss they suffered in the reverse fixture in Nairobi on Saturday 28 November 2015. The
The Kabrasians stayed tenth on the log despite the win but will certainly revel in the result as it stopped a three-match winless streak while Quins dropped to third on the log.
Top Fry Nakuru 54 Nondescripts 16
Top Fry Nakuru bounced back from a match day five home defeat to Impala, crushing Nondescripts 54-16 to break into the top four for the first time since match day one. Nondies dropped to eighth on the log.Mwamba won their second match on the trot, beating visiting Thika RFC 57-0 to move up to seventh on the log while Thika remained thirteenth.
Blak Blad 53 Mean Machine 19
Blak Blad won their third match of the season in convincing fashion, running off with a 53-19 win over the old enemy Mean Machine. The result saw Blak Blad hold on to ninth position while Machine stayed twelfth.
KCB 27 Western Bulls 27
Defending champions KCB got through their clash against Western Bulls by the skin of their teeth, sharing the spoils with Western Bulls in a thoroughly entertaining, seven-try 27-27 draw at the Jamhuri Park.
When Darwin Mukidza converted Marlin Mukolwe’s fifth-minute try, it appeared that the bankers would maul the Bulls but this was not the case, the pundits script thrown out of the window as the game went off a totally different tangent.
Bulls made it difficult for KCB, defending in numbers, harrying the bankers into rushed deliveries and errors while staying furiously competitive at the breakdown. Loose forward Brian Bango cut the deficit, going over with Isaac Wafula converting to level the scores.
Mukidza would miss a straightforward goal attempt after referee Raymond Oruo penalized Bulls and KCB soon found themselves chasing the game when Wafula first drilled home a penalty before converting a try to see them take a 17-7 lead at the break.
KCB would introduce Peter Karia and Collins Wanjala at the start of the second half for George Asin and Arthur Ochieng and found themselves
in Bulls territory, drawing a penalty that was duly put between the sticks to bring the scores to 17-10. Another Wafula penalty saw Bulls go 20-10 ahead.
Kenny Andola and Peter Waitere would come in for Billy Isabwa and Nesta Okotch as the bankers chased the game, seeing more of the ball and inching forward as they gained territory. Elly Mukaizi would eventually touch down with Andola converting to bring the scores to 20-17 before Curtis Lilako grounded the ball to see them retake the lead, the scores 22-20.
More drama ensued as the match wore on, Andola pulling the strings for the bankers, had his pass intercepted by Bulls center Cyrus Kuya who was tracked back and tackled by Mukidza and Peter Kilonzo, but not before offloading to his support runner Reinhard Ashioya who kept his feet and barged over the chalk, Wafula converting as Bulls went 27-22 up.
The tension at this point was palpable, Bulls scenting a famous win, KCB rueing the thought of a first ever Kenya Cup loss to the side from Kakamega. Mukidza would receive a weighted pass from James Kilonzo, leaving his marker for dead to score the equalizer but the ensuing conversion was unsuccessful. Bulls would miss a seemingly straightforward penalty that would have secured them the result, the two sides content to share the spoils.
KCB stayed second on the log while Bulls remained in eleventh position.