A competitive Resolution Impala Saracens Boks side to play Blak Blad Rugby Club, in the ESS league, features a debut start for Maseno alumnus hooker SP Okoth Otieno and the return of utility back five Daniel Abok.
Abok, playing at lock, this weekend, has been laid off by injury during the Enterprise Cup semi final against Kabras Sugar RFC last year.
Prop Jesse Ngesa also comes back from injury to start at loosehead.
Former Kenya star back Oscar Osir, who recently joined the Sarries technical bench as attack coach said on Thursday:
‘Today’s session was intense and full of energy. We hope the selected boys will go out on Saturday and exhibit the same zeal. We need to bounce back from two losses in a row’, said an evidently excited Osir.
The team features a completely changed front row. Onsongo Nyamwaya, at tighthead, joins Ngesa and Okoth. Soita Wekesa and Jimmy Mwangi who last week started at loosehead and hooker respectively start off the bench.
Mechack Tunechi, last week’s starting tighthead will start the 4pm fixture.
Abok will pair lock Stephen Ayora. Ayora’s partnership with Shem Angugo is halted by injury during the defending champions’ 10-20 loss against Kabras, last weekend.
Edwin Gatungo is on the blindside flank while Elvis Oroko continues his role at the openside flank. Wambiri Chege starts at 8th man to see Valentino Cosmas off the bench.
The robust Kenya Under 19 scrum half Xavier Kipng’etich gets to partner regular fly half Anthony Odhiambo. Ian Mabwa who has been donning the #9 jersey is uninvolved this weekend.
Richard Sidindi starts at left wing. He replaces Brian Opar who starts from the bench. The midfield is packed with explosives: Regular Gazelle centre Samuel Motari, returns from injury to start at inside centre while last weekend’s Gazelle outside centre Billy Omondi is his outside partner.
Last weekend’s starting centres David Moenga and Robert Otieno will watch from the stands this weekend.
Quinto Ongo, who will also captain the side, plays on the right wing. Mark Kwemoi who played, and scored, at Gazelle fullback last weekend starts this 2pm fixture. The last starting fullback, Timothy Makiya, is uninvolved.
The Impala Boks currently sit 2nd on the 2016/17 ESS log with 60 points, 7 behind leaders KCB Rugby Cubs. Blak Blad RC sit 11th with 11 points, just 2 points above bottom placed Mean Machine who have 9 points.
“This match is an important marker in our playoffs protocol. We purpose to return some physical bite to our play. Blad has usually played well against us and so we want to go all out to stamp both offensive and defensive authority early,” says Fred Ollows, Impala’s Director of Rugby.
Starting XV
1 Jesse Ngesa
2 SP Okoth Otieno
3 Onsongo Nyamwaya (VC)
4 Stephen Ayora
5 Daniel Abok
6 Edwin Gatungo
7 Elvis Oroko
8 Wambiri Chehe
9 Xavier Kipng’etich
10 Anthony Odhiambo
11 Richard Sidindi
12 Samuel Motari
13 Billy Omondi
14 Quinto Ongo (C)
15 Mark Kwemoi
Replacements
16 Jimmy Mwangi
17 Soita Wekesa
18 Joshua Momanyi
19 Richard Asante
20 Valentino Cosmas
21 Moses Kola
22 Joash Ngesa
23 Brian Opar
