The ride that is the Kenya Cup 2011/2012 enters game week 7 this weekend, first this is how the logs look like across the leagues, as released by the union :
The Kenya Cup fixtures will be as follows:
Machine Vs Nakuru – UoN Grounds.
Homeboyz Vs Nondies – Jamuhuri Grounds.
Kisumu Vs Strathmore – Kisumu Poly.
Quins Vs Mwamba – RFUEA Grounds
KCB Vs Impala – Lion’s Den Ruaraka.
It’s so tight at the top of the table going into this game week that a slip up may end up being a full free fall down the log. Let’s start at the UoN grounds shall we? Last placed Machine hosting the inform Wanyore, on paper it surely looks like an easy day in the capital for the Nakuru club but looking back at this fixture’s history you realize that this ground has proved to be a jinx of some sort to the Wanyore. The dark green shirts will be looking to end this voodoo once and for all .While Eschuma will be out to cement their ‘jinx’ status over their visitors, to realize this, eschuma will have to be very clinical on the day and their defence (and wizards) should be on another level, as the Wanyore will most probably use their size advantage to knock the students off the grounds.
Next, to the Jamuhuri grounds, where Nondies will be hosting the Homeboyz, a hard game this should be. Nondies with their dominant forwards will obviously look to stamp their authority in this department while the Djs will be out to run the heavy forwards rugged by playing quick balls off any break downs. This should be a great encounter with a narrow margin of victory for whoever takes the day. This will also be the first time Moseti comes up against his former team mates so it should be interesting to see.
Let’s move to Kisumu where the Kondele boys host the XXVII crew, as I’ve mentioned before the trip to Kisumu is a very tricky one. Strath will look to do better than their fellow students did out there, a win will see them keep in touch with the leaders as they are only 5 points off the top. Kisumu without a victory since that one against Machine will fancy their chance to make it two at the end of proceedings.
We take a flight back to the capital, touching down at the Lion’s den. KCB Vs Impala, the gazelles having managed to bring their campaign back to its feet will be out to keep the momentum going. The lions looking to bounce back from their first defeat this season and probably get back to the summit of the league while they are at it. This should be mainly a battle at the forwards, whoever manages to dominate here surely will take the points (as is the norm in most rugby games). With two points separating these two giants it should be a cracker in every sense of the word.
Finally to my feature match at the RFUEA, Kenya harlequins taking on the league leaders Mwamba RFC. The black shirts have been in the form of their lives since they went down to Strath on the first game day, so much so that their fans are already talking of a first Kenya cup title since 1984 and if they can keep up this form why not? They face a Quins side that compared to them have had a complete set of opposite fortunes thus far, with only one victory to show this season. Yes you read that right 1, although to be fair they have played two games less than kulabu. Surely if the quartered shirts hold any ambitions of defending their title, they have to win this one. Given the form I’ve just mentioned, Kulabu enter this one as the favourites no doubt, that being said you never know the giant that is quins may decide to wake up right about now. If it does decide to wake up then what better way to send the message that ‘the Quins are back’, than getting one over the league leaders?
Action from the ESS, Nationwide and Universities leagues will also continue, here are the fixtures:
ESS
KCB II vs Impala II
Quins II vs Mwamba II
Western Bulls vs Strath II
Homeboyz II vs Nondies II
Machine II vs Nakuru II
The Western bulls have already started running away with the ESS, they are unbeaten and 6 points ahead of 2nd placed KCB II who take on Impala II, the cubs suffered their first defeat last weekend at the hands of Mwamba II. Quins II who are having better fortunes than their main team are unbeaten at 3rd a point behind and will curtain raise the feature match when they take on 4th placed Mwamba II.
Nationwide East
Oryx Vs Spartans
Pwani University Vs Mombasa
Mombasa Poly Vs Blak Blad
JKUAT vs KCA
The coast derby should be an interesting one, but the top of the table clash between Blak blad and Mombasa takes the cake, they are tied at 10 points with the K.U students having a better point aggregate. JKUAT will hopefully play their first fixture against bottom placed KCA.
Nationwide West
Masinde Muliro Vs Kisumu II
Moi University Vs Maseno
Kisii Vs Webuye
Bungoma Vs Kakamega
Eldoret Vs Siaya
First placed Webuye take on Kisii who are fifth, a bonus win for Kisii will see them draw level on points with Webuye (10 points) Eldoret take on bottom placed Siaya MTC who are yet to put any points on the log after three games. With only 6 points between the top and 9th it will be all to play for in all the fixtures in the west.
Universities League.
Kabarak Vs Multimedia
Comras Vs Kimathi
Egerton Vs KeMU
Daystar Vs Thika
Nazarene Vs Kenya Poly.
Catholic Vs Blak Blad II
Things are really confusing down here, first the union did not release the table for this league. Then I am almost sure that Kimathi will be playing Nazarene while Multimedia will host Daystar. A little more organization will be much appreciated, thank you.
You have probably heard this already, Mwamba will be holding their home fixtures at the Nyayo national stadium from Feb 3rd to May 4th. This will see them play some of their matches on Friday evenings under floodlights or sunday afternoons, depending on the stadium’s schedule. A welcome development in taking rugby to the masses, now I’ll have something to do on some of those boring Sunday aftes.
I leave you with a question or two, it’s about the names given to the second string sides of most clubs. The KCB second team is called the Cubs in line with the main team, the Lions. We are together thus far? So what is the name of the Quins 2nd side, Princesses maybe? What about Mwamba, I take the word Mwamba to mean a huge rock so their second team is…mawe or jiwe?
With that, and as you get me my answers Ladies and gents…..
KWISHA!!!
