Kenya Simbas fight for crown
What you need to know:
- Kenya Simbas face hosts Namibia in their final 2017 Rugby Africa Gold Cup match on Saturday at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek.
- The high stakes match, which kick offs at 6pm Kenyan time, will decide the winner of this year’s competition.
- Namibia’s Welwitschias lead the standings with 20 points after four bonus-point wins, while Kenya are second, four points adrift after three victories and a draw.
Kenya Simbas face hosts Namibia in their final 2017 Rugby Africa Gold Cup match on Saturday at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek.
The high stakes match, which kick offs at 6pm Kenyan time, will decide the winner of this year’s competition.
Namibia’s Welwitschias lead the standings with 20 points after four bonus-point wins, while Kenya are second, four points adrift after three victories and a draw. The visitors face a tall order in trying to dethrone the champions who have a good home record.
For Kenya to win the Gold Cup, they must win the game without Namibia scoring a losing bonus point or win the game with a try bonus point – even if the Welwitschias score a losing bonus point.
The hosts will retain the cup if they win, draw or lose with a losing bonus point if Kenya doesn’t score a try bonus point.
Namibia have won this fixture by scores of 56 -21 and 46-13 in the last two years, a feat that has made Simbas coach Jerome Paarwater challenge his charges to work twice as hard to clinch victory.
“We are well aware that Namibia are the clear favourites for this competition, but we are working hard to put up a good show and surprise them in front of their fans,” he told the Namibian Sun on Friday. “We have the best attitude for the game because we are aware it will determine if we are champions or not,” he added.
Simbas, who arrived in Windhoek on Tuesday, are buoyed by last Saturday’s 41-22 win over hosts Zimbabwe at Hartsfield Ground in Bulawayo.
The win helped Kenya climb up one place in the World Rugby rankings to sit at position 25.
