Mpumalanga Pumas beats improved Kenyan team
The Kenya rugby team put forth an improved performance but lost 27-41 at the hands of the visiting Ford Pumas in an international friendly played Saturday at Nairobi’s RFUEA Grounds.
The Pumas from Mpumalanga in South Africa went ahead with a converted try after two minutes of play before Vincent Mose reduced the deficit to 7-3 with a 4th minute penalty.
Kenya would surge 10-7 ahead, Mose converting Tony Mutai’s 10th minute try.
The match would remain a close affair crowned by Pumas captain Corne Steenkamp grounding the ball on 23 minutes. Charl Bezuidenhout converted this try as the Pumas retook the lead with a 14-10 score line.
Mutai landed his brace with a pushover try a minute later to restore Kenya’s lead to a narrow 15-14. However Coenie Van Wyk’s 33rd minute try would see the Pumas take a 19-15 lead into the interval.
The national team faltered from the 1st minute of the second half kickoff as Jackson Johan gathered Van Wyk’s kick, cruising past the Kenya’s guard to touch down.
Johan would complete his brace two minutes later as the Pumas led 29-15 and a while after they were 34-15 courtesy of Willem Serfontein’s try.
Kenya regained possession and applied pressure with substitute Martin Likami scoring a push over try with Vincent Mose converting for a 34-22 score line.
JW Jonker would score a converted try while Vincent Ongera scored for Kenya as the game ended 41-27 in favour of the Pumas. Saturday’s performance was an improvement for the national team which lost 101 -7 to The Pumas when they toured South Africa last year.
The Pumas impressed by the show have pledged technical support to the Kenya Rugby Union.
In the curtain raising matches the Kenya U-19’s fell 24-15 to the Chairman’s XV while Nairobi edged Upcountry School Combined 24-17 in the Schools Challenge.
The Pumas beaten Kenya Select 48-22 on Wednesday at the same venue.
The Kenya 15 aside team coached by Michael ‘Tank’ Otieno was using the friendly as a warm up for their international fixtures which kick off with the Victoria Cup 1st leg on the 25th of this month away to Zimbabwe and an Elgon Cup 1st leg tie at home to Uganda two weeks later.
By Jakes vd Merwe
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