Strathmore Leos players at the Embu Sevens/FILE Strathmore Leos target the semifinals of each of the six National Sevens Series legs, coach Willis Ojal has said.
Buoyed by their performance in two pre-season tournaments, where they won the Ruff and Tuff competition, Ojal believes his players are well-prepared for a successful hunt. They finished fourth at the Kampala International tournament in Uganda in May.
“We have had good preparations, looking at our skillset and strength and conditioning. It’s now a matter of putting the final touches before we go to Mombasa for the Driftwood tournament on July 26-27,” said Ojal.
“We were able to test different combinations (at the pre-season tournaments). We just need to tighten a few loose ends, especially since we received two yellow cards in the (Ruff and Tuff) final. We cannot afford that in the Sevens circuit. We’ll focus on sorting out those small issues before it starts.”
The Madaraka-based side were in impressive form at the Nondies-sponsored tournament.
In the pool stage, Leos beat Nakuru 21-19 in the opener, dispatched Blak Blad 24-5 in a university derby and lost 17-7 to Quins. In the semis, they edged the hosts 22-17 in sudden death. In the final, against Mwamba, they roared to a 21-0 lead after tries from Victor Mola, Elton Amalemba and Brian Mwendwa, who added three conversions.
On resumption, Mark Gitonga scored a try and converted as the encounter ended 21-7.
Mwendwa was named the most valuable player.
Leos finished fifth in last year's circuit with 78 points, winning the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru.
“There are a few things we are working on to ensure we hit the ground running from the first tournament,” said Ojal.
He expects a competitive series.
“As always, the Sevens circuit will be tough. The top teams will be there, while the nature of the Sevens game remains unpredictable. It will boil down to who executes well in all facets of play,” he said.
