Kenya 7s wind up 7th in Dubai

What you need to know:

  • Kenya Sevens collected 10 points to wind up seventh overal in the first leg of World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai Saturday.
  • Kenya’s campaign in Duba Sevens ended at the semi-final match for fifth place, coach Innocent Simiyu’s charges losing 19-12 to Australia.
  • Tries from Frank Wanyama and Nelson Oyoo failed to spur Shujaa, who led 7-5 at the break, to fifth place as the team tied in seventh place with Scotland, who lost 27-22 to Samoa in the other semi-final match for fifth place.

Kenya Sevens collected 10 points to wind up seventh overal in the first leg of World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai Saturday.

Kenya’s campaign in Duba Sevens ended at the semi-final match for fifth place, coach Innocent Simiyu’s charges losing 19-12 to Australia.

Tries from Frank Wanyama and Nelson Oyoo failed to spur Shujaa, who led 7-5 at the break, to fifth place as the team tied in seventh place with Scotland, who lost 27-22 to Samoa in the other semi-final match for fifth place.

Australia were the first to strike when Brandon Quinn played Tim Anstee through, and the player turned the final defender inside out for the try. Shujaa’s Brian Tanga then broke free and offloaded the ball to Wanyama in Australia’s five-metre area.

Wanyama collected the ball from the ruck to score, and Samuel Oliech converted for 7-5 lead at the break.

Lachie Anderson cashed in on Shujaa’s poor response on the kick-off and sped off for a try, and Matthew Hood stretched Australia’s lead to 19-7. A last-ditch effort by Oyoo proved too late for Shujaa, who now shift focus to the next leg of the Series in Cape Town next weekend.

Australia and Samoa were set to play in the final for fifth place, the winner of the match getting 13 points and the loser 12.

Shujaa’s continental rivals South Africa stayed on course to defending their title when they hit Fiji 12-7 to reach the final where they were to play New Zealand later yesterday. New Zealand had beaten England 14-5 to reach the final.

Shujaa blew up their chances of making the Cup semi-finals when they squandered a 12-7 first half lead to go down to New Zealand 14-12 in the main Cup quarterfinals. Samuel Oliech converted Eden Agero’s try before failing to convert his own try as Shujaa overturned All Blacks’ lead to break for the drinks 12-7 ahead.

DJ Collier had put All Blacks ahead with a try after being put through by Joe Ravouvou.

No sooner had New Zealand taken the conversion than Kenya struck at the kick-off, Oliech proving a perfect provider to Agero who crossed the line.

Agero converted to level before Oliech’s try put Kenya ahead 12-7 at the drinks.

Kenya held on to possession well in the second half but failed to get out of their own half. William Ambaka bullied his way through to get a penalty from infringement, but New Zealand put in a huge defensive workout to swing the tide against Kenya, who eventually wilted as Scott Curry claimed a turnover.