KENYA CUP MATCH DAY 12 PREVIEW

 

(League positions in brackets)

IMPALA RFC (1) v KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK RFC (3)

League leaders Impala RFC host pacesetters KCB on Kenya Cup Match Day 12 at the Impala Club on Saturday 12^th September 2009. This match pits Impala RFC coach Bill Githinji against KCB's Michael "Tank" Otieno, two men who have led their sides to three consecutive Kenya Cup titles apiece.

The two sides registered mixed results on Match Day 11, Impala climbing to the summit of the league courtesy of a 32-13 home victory over the University of Nairobi's Mean Machine RFC while KCB succumbed to their fourth loss of the season, incidentally their fourth home defeat, when they went down 5-13 to Nondescripts RUFC at the Lions' Den in Ruaraka; a result that saw them slip to third.

In the reverse fixture played in July, Impala ended a seven year winless streak at the Lions' Den when they beat KCB 15-9 and will be out to complete the league double over a KCB side that is unbeaten away from home this season.

An Impala win will see them edge even closer to a first Kenya Cup title since 2004 while KCB must win at all costs to stay within grasp of a first league title since the last of their three-peat Kenya Cup titles in 2007.

NAKURU RFC (2) V KENYA HARLEQUIN FC (4)

The reigning Enterprise Cup champions Nakuru RFC play host to the reigning Kenya Cup champions Kenya Harlequin FC at the Nakuru Athletic Club.

The home side squeezed a narrow 13-5 win over visiting Strathmore University on Match Day 11 while Quins cruised to a comprehensive 41-17 home victory over Mwamba, a result that did no harm to their ambitions of retaining the league title.

Lying second on the log,Nakuru have done extremely well to stay in Kenya Cup contention with three rounds left to go and will enter this encounter seeking to avenge their first leg 9-26 loss to Quins as they keep their sights on a maiden Kenya Cup title.

 
 STRATHMORE (8)v MWAMBA (5) 

Strathmore coach Mitch Ocholla is up against several former Kenya Sevens colleagues, namely Mwamba coach John Onyango and center Humphrey Kayange.Leos gave Nakuru RFC a close fight, going down 5-13 at the Nakuru Athletic Club on Match Day 11.

The Leos face a Mwamba RFC side reeling from that 17-41 annihilation at the hands of league champions Kenya Harlequin.  Both sides are full of running, making this encounter an intriguing one. Mwamba won the first leg fixture 24-18 and will looking to recover from last week's heavy loss to Quins but will have to answer the questions that Strath will send their way.

NONDESCRIPTS RUFC (6)  v MEAN  MACHINE (7)

Paul Odera and Benjamin Ayimba shared many great battles on opposite sides playing for Kenya Harlequin FC and Impala RFC respectively. The two great backrow men renew their rivalry this weekend...as coaches.

Paul Odera's Nondescripts RUFC charges will be out to maintain their good run of form when they host the Benjamin Ayimba coached Mean Machine RFC at the Jamhuri Park.

Nondies registered the biggest upset of Match Day 11, beating former champions Kenya Commercial Bank RFC 13-5 at the Lions Den in Ruaraka. Biko Adema, Charles Kanyi and Allan Hicks were pivotal in plotting KCB's downfall and Odera will hope that trio can replicate last weekend's performance . Mean Machine will be no pushovers and with players like Wilson K'Opondo and Brian Simiyu in their ranks they definitely take the game to the Red Lions and will be out to make amends for their 15-19 loss in the reverse fixture. 

 

There are no Eric Shirley matches this weekend ahead of the final on September 19.