Kabras William Mwanji sizes up John Okoth during last year's Kenya Cup final/HANDOUT Despite a slow start to the Sevens Series, Kenya Cup champions Kabras are optimistic of winning the overall crown.
Team manager, Geoffrey Messo, said fatigue played a big role in their fluctuating performances in the opening two legs of the series in Mombasa and Nakuru.
"Travelling from Kakamega to Mombasa, then back home and again to Nakuru for the second tournament, strained the team. But now the boys are well refreshed after a one-week break and ready for battle at Christie Sevens,” said Messo.
He added, “The series is still in its early stages, but we need a strong performance at the Christie Sevens. There is a lot of rugby to be played between now and September when the series ends, and we are very much in contention."
The Kakamega-based side is currently fifth on the log with 27 points. The Sugar millers reached the semifinals in Mombasa, going down to arch rivals KCB 10-5 before bouncing back to beat Nakuru 21-10 in the bronze medal match.
The side, however, struggled for fluency at the Prinsloo Sevens, where they lost to KCB in the quarterfinals, going down 17-5 before Nakuru added further salt to injury in the classification match, losing 12-10 to finish seventh overall in the tournament.
One area the Kabras will be looking to improve is the attack during the Christie Sevens after a below-par performance at Prinsloo.
"We had opportunities to put teams away, but we were not patient, especially when we got to the red zone. This is an area we have worked on in the last week,” added Messo.
He noted that the club is looking at minor changes to the side with the likes of playmakers Jone Kubu, Brian Tanga, and speedstar Griffin Chao being added to the squad ahead of Christie Sevens.
“ They have come from the Simbas squad and trained, and the technical bench will make a final decision on their participation," noted Messo.
Kabras, who are the defending champions, face Menengai Oilers. Daystar Falcons and Uganda side Ruga Ruga select in Pool C.
