Why fixing discipline is crucial for Strathmore Leos ahead of National 7s Circuit
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 22.07.25. | 10:30
The circuit is set to kick off on Saturday, 26 July, with the Driftwood 7s in Mombasa
Strathmore Leos head coach Willis Ojal has emphasized reasons fixing discipline will be key for them ahead of the much-anticipated 2025 National 7s Circuit.
The circuit is set to kick off on Saturday, 26 July, with the Driftwood 7s in Mombasa.
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If the Leos’ performance is anything to go by in the recent build-up tournaments, they could be on the right track to success. They emerged victorious in the Ruff n Tuff 7s tournament held last weekend after seeing off Mwamba RFC 21-5 in the final.
Strathmore’s route to the title was anything but easy. Drawn in Pool A, the Leos kicked off their campaign with a narrow 21-19 win over Nakuru before brushing aside Blak Blad 24-5.
They stumbled in their final pool match, losing 17-7 to Kenya Harlequin, but still topped the pool and advanced to the semifinals.
In the last four, the Leos were made to work for their place in the final.
In a tight encounter against Kenya Harlequin, it was a try by Shem Okolla and a crucial conversion that saw them edge a 19-17 win and book a date with Mwamba.
However, despite their win, during the final, they conceded two penalties, which Ojal noted would cost them if it were a game of razor-thin margins.
“Winning is an attitude, so we want to keep it at that; we want to keep winning as we move forward into the circuit. We have areas to work on. The first one in discipline.
During the Ruff n Tuff final, we got two yellow cards. That is something we cannot afford to have in the circuit. We will keep working and doing better to ensure we are not giving away so many penalties,” he told Mozzart Sport.
For Ojal, the squad for the six legs of the circuit will be chosen from the team that competed in the Ruff n Tuff 7s.
The team had 18 members, including Elton Amalemba, the tournament’s MVP, Brian Mwendwa, Victor Mola, Shem Okola, Joseph Ayiro, Gabriel Ayimba, and Nygel Amaitsa, among others.
“The squad will be chosen from the guys who played the Ruff n Tuff 7s because we were allowed 18 players. So those are the guys we will use for the next six weeks,” Ojal disclosed.
The tactician further went on to note what they have to do to outmuscle the competing teams. Last circuit, they gained momentum late, only winning the final tournament; Prinsloo 7s after defeating Nondies RFC 33-7 in the final.
The win quenched their 15-year thirst for a Prinsloo 7s title, having last won it in 2009.
“We plan to be a bit more clinical, which I think came together by the time we were going to Prinsloo last year, which we won. It is a bit of being able to finish off what we want to do,” he averred.
During the 2024 National 7s Circuit, the Leos slipped to fifth place, a two-spot drop from 2023. They earned 78 points in 2024 compared to 95 in 2023.
