Kabras RFC players celebrate after winning the Driftwood Sevens title recently in Mombasa/HANDOUT Kabras RFC Sevens coach Ntabeni Dukisa has called on his charges to sharpen their defence as they head into the Christie Sevens title decider at the RFUEA Ground this weekend.
The South African tactician said missed defensive assignments at crucial moments in the Embu Sevens final against KCB cost his side the title in a topsy-turvy encounter they lost 12-10.
“The boys played well over the two days, but in the key moments of the final, one or two missed tackles were unfortunate. This week, we worked on our defensive pattern to ensure that come this weekend, we are firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball,” said Dukisa.
The Kakamega-based side sits second on the standings with 92 points and must win the Christie Sevens on Sunday while hoping KCB fail to reach the semi-finals to have a chance of claiming the overall title.
KCB lead the standings on 98 points after winning the Prinsloo, Kabeberi and Embu legs, besides finishing runners-up at the Driftwood Sevens. Kabras, meanwhile, have won the Dala and Driftwood Sevens and finished runners-up at the season-opening Nakuru Sevens.
Dukisa is confident his players will bounce back from their disappointing display in the Embu final. “We are targeting to finish the leg strongly. In Sevens, anything can happen.
The boys are relishing the battle, and we look forward to a competitive tournament,” he added. The coach also criticised the standard of officiating during the Embu final and across the series, calling for greater accountability among referees.
“It is very frustrating as a coach. You put in so much work for the team, and we have seen it across all the Sevens tournaments. The officiating has to be better, and the referees need to be held accountable,” said Dukisa.
Kabras are drawn in Pool B alongside Blak Blad, NYS Spades and Division Two champions Mean Machine. Log leaders KCB will face Quins, MMUST and Club Afrique in Pool A, while Menengai Oilers meet Nondies, Strathmore Leos and Kisumu RFC in Pool C. Daystar Falcons are in Pool D alongside Mwamba RFC, Embu RFC and Impala. The top two teams in each pool will qualify for the Main Cup quarter-finals.
