Kabras RFC head coach hits out at new trend in Kenyan rugby

Instead of a try being awarded, the defenders wrap up the ball carrier and keep them suspended or drive them backwards until the referee stops play.

Under the current laws of the game, when a player is held up over the try line, the defending team is awarded a goal-line drop-out. This effectively denies the attacking side a strong scoring opportunity and allows the defending team to restart play from their own goal line.

However, Katywa argued that relying too heavily on the tactic could backfire, especially against teams with strong forward packs.

“There is a trend in Kenya right now of teams trying to hold the ball up, but it is not really working. At the end of the day, you can hold up a team, but if they have a superior scrum, you will lose the ball,” Katywa told Mozzart Sport.

He emphasised that Kabras prefer a more aggressive defensive approach focused on driving opponents backwards.

“We always talk about proper defense; hitting players backwards because when they knock the ball and feel the pressure, they begin to doubt themselves. That is an area we still need to work on,” he added.

The tactician was also left frustrated by how the match against KCB unfolded, revealing issues with the game that he could not publicly disclose.

“I am exceptionally disappointed for several reasons, some of which I may not be able to reiterate here because they were happening behind closed doors. In the end, we had to share the spoils,” he said.

Kabras endured a difficult start to the contest, struggling to implement their game plan and spending a prolonged period pinned in their own half.

“We had a very shaky start, as you could see. We had a game plan, but we did not execute it well early on. We were put under pressure quite quickly, but the boys absorbed it and held their ground,” he explained.

Despite being stuck in their territory for more than 25 minutes, Katywa praised his players for their defensive resilience, noting that KCB only managed a penalty during that spell.

“For over 25 minutes, we could not get past the halfway line, yet KCB could not score during that period. They only managed three points in the 17th minute. That shows the character of our boys, and defensively they did very well,” he said.

Kabras eventually recovered from a 10-point deficit, fighting back to level the scores at 10–10 by halftime before the game was called off.

While disappointed with how the match concluded, Katywa maintained that he was proud of his players’ effort and resilience under the circumstances.

“Ultimately, I am disappointed in the way the game ended, but I am not disappointed in my players. We showed great character by coming back from 10 points down and fighting until halftime to tie the game at 10–10 before the game was called off.

I am proud of the boys and the way they executed under the circumstances,” he said.

Up next, the Sugarmen will welcome Menengai Oilers in the final league match slated for Saturday, 14 March at the ASK Kakamega Showground.