Dubai 7s: Kenya Sevens miss out on cup quarters after defeat to Australia
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 30.11.24. | 20:29
The result marked their second loss in the first leg of the HSBC SVNS Series, ending their hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals
Kenya Sevens suffered a 31-14 defeat to Australia in their final pool match of the ongoing Dubai 7s played on Saturday 30 November at the Sevens Stadium.
The result marked their second loss in the first leg of the HSBC SVNS Series, ending their hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Kevin Wambua's charges started the campaign with a 24-19 defeat to France and a narrow 22-17 win against South Africa, Kenya finished last in their pool with four points, missing out on a top-eight finish.
The game began with Australia applying early pressure, forcing Kenya into defensive errors in their danger zone. A missed lineout gifted Australia possession, leading to the opening try.
Although the conversion fell short, the Australians set the tone with a 5-0 lead. Hayden Sargeant extended their advantage moments later with a well-executed second try. However, another missed conversion kept the scores at 10-0.
Kenya found a glimmer of hope through a clever kick by Nygel Amaitsa, which Patrick Odongo chased down to score their first try. The successful conversion narrowed the gap to 10-7, sparking excitement among the packed fans section, whose chants energized the team.
The game’s momentum shifted when George Ooro received a yellow card for stamping on an opponent, narrowly missing an Australian player’s chest with his boot.
Reduced to six men, Kenya struggled to contain Australia’s attack. Sargeant capitalized on the numerical advantage, scoring his second try in added time. With the conversion successful, Australia entered the break leading 17-7.
The second half began with Australia resuming their dominance, scoring a converted try within minutes to stretch the lead to 24-7.
Ooro’s return from the sin bin restored Kenya to full strength, but the damage had already been done. Henry Hutchison added another try for the Australians, with the conversion extending their lead to 31-7.
Kenya showed resilience in the closing stages, with Benson Salem crossing the line for their second try. A successful conversion brought the final score to 31-14, but it was too little too late for Shujaa.
Shujaa's run in Dubai
Shujaa 19-24 France
Shujaa 22-17 South Africa
Shujaa 31-14 Australia
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