Resolution Impala Saracens won the inaugural Friday night #KenyaCup fixture against Homeboyz RFC at Impala Club. In an innovation that has been a long time coming, The home side settled the quicker of the two Ngong Road based clubs.
Fullback Samuel Oliech grounded a Quinton Ongo up and under just five minutes into play after a blindside scrum pick. He missed the conversion of his own try but would sound the board again when he converted a penalty from a Homeboyz ruck infringement. 8-0, Impala.
Then came what is surely the top pick of Impala’s tries this year. After a series of dominant breakdown plays with captain Duncan Ekasi featuring, eventual man of the match fly half, Nato Simiyu, released a cross kick that found centre Anthony Nyandigisi totally unopposed, with Ongo on his outside, to score. Oliech converted for a 15-0 half time lead.
Homeboyz would come from the break energised and from several rampaging runs, Felix Ojow would ground. Scrum half Michael Wanjala would convert for a 15-7, Impala lead. The good Homeboyz work would be work would be undone by an immediate restart penalty error. Oliech would extend the Impala lead to 18-7.
Ongo would then score his second try of the season when Simiyu quickly tapped from another Homeboyz breakdown infringement. It had now become clear to Impala that their biggest advantage was in their traditional strength – back play. 23-7, Impala. Oliech didn’t convert from the corner.
Oliech would then make ammends for his faltering boot when he scored his second try after recovering his thundering up and under punt. His opposite number Oscar Ayodi would make the tackle but Oliech’s stretchout ground was enough to convince referee Nicholas Gachoya. The Global Saracens linked club now led 28-7.
Impala would further stretch the lead to 33-7 after a series of pick and drive movements. This was just reward from night long forward dominance only that it was a back, Nyandigisi who concluded the movement scoring his second from close quarters. Once more, Oliech was wide with the conversion.
Blindside wing Lameck Dunde would then join the scoring fray when he rounded off Impala’s multi phase play on an openside run. He brushed off opposite Bush Mwale before scoring to extend the lead to 38-7. There were no extras, as Oliech made his last kick of the night.
The Resolution backed side would complete the Homeboyz rout with a lineout drive compounded by backs, including Dunde and Nyandigisi. Backrow reserve Joel Omer would ground from the tail. Back reserve George Okowa would convert from a difficult angle to sum the scores at 45-7.
