Kabras duo of Eric Cantona and Fredrick Wangila tackle KCB's Mike Wekesa during the Kabeberi Sevens last weekend/HANDOUT Kabras RFC have recalled young stars Ray Olindi and Jackson Siketa for the Driftwood Sevens in Mombasa this weekend as they seek to bounce back from a disappointing outing at the Kabeberi Sevens.
The duo missed the Kabeberi tournament after picking up knocks while featuring for Kenya Under-20 in their Barthes Cup victory in Uganda. Their return is expected to provide a boost to a Kabras attack that struggled at Kabeberi, where the Kakamega-based side finished eighth and collected 10 points.
Kabras made a strong start to the tournament, beating Masinde Muliro 29-7 and Nakuru 31-14 before losing their final pool match 12-7 to eventual champions KCB. Coach Ntabeni Dukisa’s charges then suffered a 12-7 quarter-final defeat to Oilers before going down 19-12 to Daystar in the classification match.
Dukisa is confident his side will respond strongly in Mombasa. “We played well below our standards in the last tournament, and we want to redeem ourselves and stay in the hunt for the overall Sevens Series crown,” said Dukisa.
On the return of Olindi and Siketa, the South African tactician said the youngsters would add quality without being placed under undue pressure. “Look, they are great talent. We all know what they can do. We are not a team that depends on them; we try not to put so much pressure on them. We want them to enjoy their game,” said Dukisa.
The Kabeberi result saw Kabras surrender top spot in the series standings to KCB, dropping to second with 51 points. However, Dukisa believes they remain firmly in contention with three legs still to play.
“We still have a great opportunity to win the overall crown, but we must play at our best to win the title, so we are taking it one tournament at a time,” he added. Kabras face a tricky Pool A in Mombasa, where they will take on Quins, Nondies and hosts Mombasa Sports Club. Dukisa expects a demanding group but believes his players are ready for the challenge. "There are no easy games. It’s a challenging pool, but the boys are looking forward to and relishing the battle and getting out of the group to the main Cup quarter-finals.”
Kabras won the Driftwood Sevens title in 2023.
