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Shujaa's Samuel Asati reveals key facet of modern Sevens rugby
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 10.05.26. | 15:04
Kenya’s pool has already been labelled the “group of death,” considering the pedigree of the sides involved and the intensity expected in every fixture
Kenya Sevens co-captain Samuel Asati has opened up on the defining feature of modern sevens rugby as the team prepares for a daunting challenge at the upcoming SVNS World Championship in Valladolid.
The tournament is slated for Friday, 29 to Sunday, 31 May at the iconic Estadio José Zorrilla in Spain.
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Shujaa have been drawn in a tough Pool A alongside South Africa, Australia, and Great Britain.
The competition marks a crucial penultimate round of the global sevens circuit, bringing together some of the best teams in world rugby in what promises to be a fiercely contested battle for supremacy.
Kenya’s pool has already been labelled the “group of death,” considering the pedigree of the sides involved and the intensity expected in every fixture.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Asati noted that Shujaa’s encouraging performance in Hong Kong had given the side the belief that they can compete with the world’s elite despite recently earning promotion from the HSBC SVNS 2.
“We went to Hong Kong intending to finish in the top eight, and finishing at seventh place, we saw it was possible because we were coming from SVNS 2 to match with the big guns. Now we go a notch higher and set bigger targets for ourselves,” Asati told Mozzart Sport.
Shujaa impressed in Hong Kong after finishing seventh in the opening leg.
Drawn in a difficult Group C, Kenya suffered defeats to Australia and New Zealand before bouncing back with a crucial win over the United States to book a place in the Cup quarterfinals.
In the last eight, Kenya pushed South Africa all the way before narrowly losing 26-22 in a dramatic contest decided in the closing stages.
Shujaa would eventually end their campaign on a high note after defeating France 21-7 in the seventh-place playoff.
Asati believes the key lesson from their clash against South Africa was the importance of transitions in modern sevens rugby, particularly in quickly shifting between attack and defence.
“I have always believed that 7s is a game of transition, both on attack and defense. If you look at the big teams like South Africa, Great Britain, and Australia, they all thrive on transitions,” he explained.
“If you watched our game against South Africa, it all boiled down to how you transition both on attack and defense. That is what we will focus on,” he added.
The talented scrum-half also acknowledged the difficulty awaiting Kenya in Valladolid but insisted the team’s main focus remains on executing their own strategy rather than worrying about opponents.
“In the HSBC Championship, there is no easy pool. It is how you approach each game at a time. We are fully focused on ourselves, and I believe that if we stick to our strategy, the games will be very easy for us,” he explained.
Elsewhere, Pool B will feature Argentina, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Germany.
Pool C will see hosts Spain battle it out against Fiji, France, and the USA.