As the Kenya Cup resumes this weekend, we got to sit down with our Director of Rugby, Fred Ollows for a recap on the team’s performance during the first five match days. We also looked at his plan for the rest of this season.
As the rugby gods would have it, the Resolution Impala Saracens went head to head with their next door neighbour Kenya Harlequins on the first Kenya Cup match day. The Resolution Insurance sponsored Gazelles were the hosts of their Ngong Road rivals.
Based on their last encounter with Quins during the Impala Floodlit tournament, most expected the Gazelles to win. The Resolution Sarries were 48-17 winners of the Floodlit quarterfinal fixture,
But, this was a different match day, the league, no less. Quins had clearly done their homework pretty well. The match ended with a 29-22 win for Quins, the match needing TMO adjudication for try-no-try, on the Quins tryline, at the death.
“Losing on the first day of the season is a terrible thing since this is the match that best sets the momentum”, said the coach.
However the team picked itself up from that loss and the four weekends that followed saw them beat Kenya Sharks (64-5), Western Bulls (37-22), Mwamba (41-27) and lastly Nakuru RFC (26-18).
Ollows went ahead to say that the win against Mwamba at Railway Club boosted the players spirits greatly. It provided some of the impetus for the away match versus the rift valley Wanyore.
The boys did not disappoint when they travelled to the flamingo County. They registered their first win there in five seasons.
Ollows believes that every weekend is different and so is every team. This is why Impala mainly focuses on improving themselves as they prepare for any match, regardless of the opponent.
Expectedly, they target the opponent’s perceived weaknesses but work hard to improve their own strengths.
The Kenyan member of the Saracens Global Network is currently placed third on the Kenya Cup log with 21 points, two points behind Kenya Harlequins and one point behind the title defenders KCB.
In the preparation for the first match of the year (vs Kenya Sharks) at home, the team has had 5 training sessions which the coach believes are good enough.
Judging by their last encounter in Bungoma, he says that the Sharks have a fighting spirit and he believes it will be the same if not better this time round.
When asked about his plans on ensuring the team retains a position in the top six, he stated that the critical phase of talkng about play-offs had not reached.
“Right now, we’re more keen on working on various facets of our Rugby – individual skills, setpiece and the shape of our open play, both offensively and defensively. We’re living the one-match-at-a-go mantra.”
The former Kenya and Impala scrum half adds “At mid-season, five matches away, the picture will begin to take shape and we’ll respond accordingly”
We look forward to some interesting Kenya Cup fixtures this year. Be sure to make your way to Impala Rugby Grounds today to watch the Gazelles host the Sharks. You do not want to miss it!
