Impala Saracens switched on the 2019 six-part Stanbic Bank National Sevens Circuit with a 17-10 win over Menengai Oilers in the first game of the opening leg - Kakamega 7s - at the Bull Ring on Saturday 20 July, 2019.
The pool A action set the tone for Homeboyz RFC - the top seeds at the event and reigning Stanbic 7s circuit champions - who went on to dispatch co-hosts Western Bulls 26-5 in the next game.
Joining Impala Saracens and Homeboyz in winning ways were Mwamba, co-host Kabras Sugar, KCB and Nakuru RFC won went past Kisumu RFC, Kisii RFC, MMUST and Egerton Wasps, in that order. Nondies too picked an opening win despite a close shave from Mean Machine.
The same was however not the case for Kenya Harlequin who were handed a 26-14 defeat by Strathmore Leos during the seventh game of the day.
Missed tackles and poor defending had Leos up 5-0 with a try by Cecil Otieno but Quins rallied to lead the game 7-5 with a converted response soon after at the corner. Quins went further up with a Japser Ochan try and conversion by Matt Wanjia to lead 14-5 at half time. Leos then clawed back to register 21 unanswered points in the second half with three tries and conversions from promising Barnabas Owuor.
In the third game of the day Nondies, under the eyes of tactician Willis 'Foxx' Ojal, registered a slim 7-5 win over a purposeful Mean Machine in pool B's opening game. Dennis Ombachi drew his markers to swing a pass to Ian Mabwa for the opening try that was booted in correctly for a 7-0 lead at half time.
Skipper Marvin Karungi aka Faunjan responded for Machine in the second half after receiving a perfect offload at the corner. A missed extra by Machine proved to be the difference in the game.
Mwamba were next up, and with experience laden troops, took out Kisumu 38-0 to start on a high. Kenya 7s star Billy Odhiambo started it off with early back-to-back tries for a 14-0 lead after both were converted by 2018 Stanbic Bank National Sevens Circuit Most Valuable Player Daniel Taabu. Billy completed his hat trick at the stroke of half time for Kulabu to lead 19-0.
Further tries from Eliakim Kichoi, Greg Ochieng and Steve Sikuta - two of which were converted, killed off the game.
Kabras Sugar led Kisii RFC 14-5 then added one more converted try in the second half to win the opening pool C game. In the followup game KCB, a brace of tries by Vincent Onyala and Isaac Njoroge, and one from debutant Levi Amunga had the Tellers 29-0 up at half time against Masinde Muliro. Two tries after darting wing runs by Tyson Juma saw MMUST reduced the gap to 29-10 but a run by Kenya Simbas flanker Davis Chenge at the end of the second half delivered a converted try to end the contest.
In the final round one game, Nakuru led peripheral neighbors Egerton Wasps 17-0 at half time before coasting to their opening 41-7 win.
Kakamega 7s (Stanbic 7s) Div 1 Order of play
Round 1
Impala 17 Menengai Oilers 10
Homeboyz 26 Western Bulls 05
Nondies 07 Machine 05
Mwamba 38 Kisumu 00
Kabras 21 Kisii 05
KCB 36 MMUST 10
Quins 14 Strathmore 26
Nakuru 41 Egerton 07
Round 2
Impala 26 Western Bulls 5
Homeboyz 17 Menengai Oilers 7
Nondies 24 Kisumu 10
Mwamba 19 Machine 0
Kabras 5 MMUST 24
KCB 41 Kisii RFC 0
Quins 0 Egerton 10
Nakuru 15 Strathmore Leos 0
Round 3
Menengai Oilers 20 Western Bulls 7
Homeboyz 12 Impala 12
Machine vs Kisumu 3.20pm
Mwamba vs Nondies 3.40pm
Kisii RFC vs MMUST 4pm
KCB vs Kabras Sugar 4.20pm
Strathmore Leos vs Egerton 4.40pm
Nakuru vs Quins 5pm
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