Lagat impressed by Martials fight despite loss to Zetech Oaks in KRU Championship opener

USIU-A, popularly known as Martials, went down 41-38 against Zetech University's Oaks in a closely contested match

by ANGWENYI GICHANA

Rugby24 November 2025 - 09:30

In Summary

National Youth Service (NYS) Spades got a rude welcome to the second-tier league after suffering a 37-13 loss against former Kenya Cup side Mwamba RFC at Goan Institute Grounds.
Catholic Monks were awarded a walkover after former Kenya cup side Western Bulls failed to turn up for the game.

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United States International University Africa (USIU-A) coach Tom Lagat is optimistic about his team’s prospects despite a 41-38 loss to Zetech University’s Oaks in their KRU Championship opener over the weekend.

“It was a tight contest marred by injuries. One of our players got a concussion, and the seizures lasted 40 minutes. I think the team spirit went down following the injury. With eight minutes to go, we lost concentration and gave away a try,” said Lagat.

Despite the setback, Lagat was pleased with the overall performance of his side.

“All said, we played very well. We were trailing 26-0 after 20 minutes but recovered to take a 28-26 lead at the break. We scored five tries and got a losing bonus. We have now shifted our focus to the next game,” he added.

Lagat gave debuts to four new signings—Emmanuel Isanalo, Mark Kariuki, Livingstone Abok and Joel Ochego—and was impressed by their contributions.

“They have filled the visible gaps. Their input in the game was commendable, and with more fine-tuning, they will turn out to be dependable players,” he said.

Lagat said the determination and strength shown by the new signings after falling behind early on is a sign of a promising future as they look to build on their performance in upcoming games.