Super Duper Saturday, The Preview!

If game day 7 was Super Saturday, then there is only one way to describe Game day 9…Super-duper Saturday.

After the break weekend, we get back into the action across the various leagues with the battle for play off spots reaching fever pitch.

In the Chairman’s University league, a total of four fixtures were played out over the break, leaders Catholic university cemented their place at the top with a 46-0 win over Nazarene, second placed Thika seeing of the Kimathi Dedans with a 29-14 score. Other games saw KEMU beat Stormers 13-7 and Daystar beating the Comras 17-0.

This weekend, the league leaders who are on an unassailable 30 points travel to Nyeri to face the Kimathi Dedans who are 6^th on 15 points. Comras who currently lie 7^th (13) will host KEMU in 4^thon   18 points at the Kibiko School.

5^th placed Stormers (15) will host second placed Thika (21) at their Athi river back yard, the last fixture will see last placed Mt.Kenya university on -8 points, yes you read that right, hosting third placed Daystar.

Kimathi Dedans vs Catholic University (3pm, Kimathi)

Comras vs KEMU (3pm, Kibiko School)

Stormers vs Thika RFC (3pm, Athi River)

Mt.Kenya vs Daystar (3pm)

To the Coast edition where the highlight of the ‘rest weekend’ took place, with KEMU Nairobi bamboozling over the Shepherds by a 130-0 score line. You don’t get to see such score lines everyday, you cant help but feel for the Shepherds such a loss tends to weigh heavily, lets hope they pick themselves up. Other results saw Masaku beat JKUAT Voi 7-0, Mombasa II putting 28 past Mombasa Poly with Pwani university getting a walk over result against the Spartans.

All eyes will be on the Shepherds this weekend as they look to redeem themselves, they will be facing Masaku, the Macbulls in 5^thon 14 points, it goes without saying that the Shepherds are languishing in last without a point to their name.

Leaders Mombasa II (23) will be hosting JKUAT Voi in the top of the table clash, the Voi boys are 4 points adrift of the MRC second team. Kemu Nairobi in 3^rd on 17 points will look to build on that massive win when they host Pwani University at the Ctholic university grounds with the Spartans in 6^th (9) looking to get back to winning ways when they face 4^th placed Mombasa poly (15)   

Shepherds vs Masaku (3pm, Machakos Golf Club)

Mombasa II vs JKUAT Voi (3pm)

KEMU Nairobi vs Pwani University (3pm, Catholic Uni)

Spartans vs Mombasa Poly (3pm, Bamburi)

The Nationwide Eastern edition had the following fixtures played over the last week:

Multimedia 9-30 Mombasa SC

Technical University of Kenya 15-13 Kabarak

USIU 34-0  KCA

Egerton 24-0 JKUAT

USIU 15-12 Oryx

The technical university of Kenya for those who dont know by now is the former Kenya Poly, I will from hence forth refer to them as TUK, (hehe I dont know they just bring ridicule onto themselves!)

Onto the coming fixtures, leaders USIU travel to the Coast to face second placed Mombasa RFC at the MSC, this the definite highlight of the fixtures, with all indications showing that it will be a close one, wasn’t this fixture a quarter final last season? The two are separated by two points at the top, with Mombasa having played a game less.

Other fixtures will see Oryx who are 5^th on the log with 12 points  host 4^thplaced Egerton on 23 points at the UoN grounds. JKUAT in seventh (6 points) will host Multimedia university who lie 6^th on 7 points at the Juja grounds. The bottom two sides of Kabarak and KCA will do battle in Nakuru, as it stands KCA are bottom on (-2) points with Kabarak on 3 points.

Nationwide Eastern Conference

Mombasa vs USIU (4pm, MSC)

Oryx vs Egerton (12 noon, UoN)

JKUAT vs Multimedia (3pm Juja)

Kabarak vs KCA (3pm, Nakuru)

The Western Conference saw the following fixtures played out:

Moi University 3-27 Eldoret

Bungoma 46-0 Siaya

Maseno 7-41 Kisii

Kakamega II 38-5 Webuye

Siaya 0-36 Maseno

Moi University 0-11 Bungoma

Eldoret 14-0 Kakamega II

This weekend, Kakamega II after playing two games in three days will have their rest weekend, the rest will however not have the same luxury. Leaders Eldoret (29) host 3^rd placed Masinde Muliro (24), with second from last Webuye (7) hosting Maseno who lie 6^th on 14 points, Kisii in fourth will host fifth placed Bungoma at the Egerton Kisii campus, the two are tied on 18 points. The other fixture sees last placed Siaya (5) host 7^th placed Moi uni (12) at the Siaya Institute.

Eldoret vs Masinde Muliro (3pm, Eldoret Club)

Webuye vs Maseno (3pm, Webuye DEB)

Kisii vs Bungoma (Egerton Kisii)

Siaya vs Moi Uni (Siaya Institute)

The ESS saw two fixtures played out, with Mwamba II beating Nondies II 32-14 to move into fourth spot on 25 points, though tied with Impala II. Nondies II remain 7^th on 15 points. The other fixture took place in Kisumu with Blad II getting the better of their hosts Kisumu II 26-7, that win took Blad to 13 points in 8^th place, Kisumu II remain rooted to the bottom of the standings.

This Saturday will see league leaders Quins II host third placed Catulus (Strath II), the junior bars have enjoyed a dominance in this league spanning close to two years, I honestly cant remember the last time they lost, their unbeaten record should stretch to 2011. Last time they were out though, Mwamba II gave them a real scare, the Catulus will look to end that run.

Other matches see second placed KCB cubs take on Nakuru II who are in 6^th  at the NAC, the Nakuru II lost here last time to Mwamba II they will be out to get back to winning ways and indeed get back to the semi final spots which are 5 points away. Kakamega (10) will be facing Homeboyz II (9) at the Kakamega High school, this is assuming the latter make the journey as they are yet to honour an out of town fixture, due to logistical issues. The two are currently tied on 13 points. Elsewhere Machine II (11) will host Nondies II (7), with 5^th placed Impala II travelling to face Kisumu II (8) and Blakblad II hosting Mwamba II (4).

Quins II vs Strathmore II (2pm, RFUEA)

Nakuru II vs KCB II (2pm, NAC)

Kakamega vs Homeboyz II (2pm, Kakamega High)

Machine II vs Nondies II (2pm, UoN grounds)

Kisumu II vs Impala II (2pm, Kisumu Poly)

Blad II vs Mwamba II (2pm, KU)

The top flight saw only one fixture played during the ‘break’ Kisumu finally claiming their first win of the season and Blad claiming their first point of the season, that one ending 20-15.

This weekend action resumes in earnest with three games to go, including this one, to the semi finals focus now shifts to the battle at the top.

Going into this one things look like so, KCB lead the log on 36 points, Nakuru are second on 33, Strathmore third on 29, Quins are on 26 and Mwamba on 25, Homeboyz on 23 and Nondies on 21 finish off the list of semi final probables.

Apart from the first two who at this point I can say are all but assured of places in the Semis, the rest are in a full blown dog fight, with Homeboyz and Nondies the two dogs who are technically out of it but still have a life line.

It is also good to note that the yaka yaders will not turn up for their clubs so the sides who are seen/perceived to be dependent on their ‘oteros’ will have to find in house heroes.

Impala who registered their first win last time they were out will look to build on that win when they travel to Kisumu to face the Kondele boys who also registered their maiden win as earlier stated. It will be a case of who can build on their win, Impala are 10^th on 10 points with Kisumu 5 points adrift in 11^th.

The Western Bulls who are currently on 16 points in 8^thhost 6^th placed Homeboyz at the Kakamega High school. The Echulusi are on quite a run at home and will be up against their toughest opponents yet at their Kakamega high school back yard. The Djs who still have a sniff at the Semi finals will have no room for anything less than a win here as they hope results elsewhere go their way.

Fifth placed Mwamba make the short journey to Ruiru to face last placed Blakblad. The black shirts with the momentum and the odds on their side, will come into this one beaming with confidence as they look to finally break into the top four. Blad on the other hand look like they are running on E, though they earned a losing bonus at Kisumu, things don’t look that good for the students. This fixture however carries with it a bit of history, it might be the motivation Blad need to pull off an upset.

9^th placed Machine on 12 points host 7^thplaced Nondies at the UoN. The rangers are on a three game winning streak after that derby win and will be out to make it 4 in 4 as they look to stay in contention of a Semi final berth. The Eschuma on their part have last two of their last three, though by small margins, they will be upbeat when they come against a Nondies side that is sprinkled with their former mates.

The first of the battle of the top four, kind of a semi finals dry run will take place at the RFUEA as 4^th placed Quins face 3^rd placed Strathmore. The two as you might have noticed are separated by 3 points,  meaning the winner here will have a reprieve of sorts though no surety of going on into the Semis. Quins have lost two of their last three coming into this one and in all honesty look shaky but the recent return of some of the experienced players might be the boost they need to steady the ship and get into the Semi finals. Strathmore on the other hand have 1 win a loss and a draw from their last three, the last two against KCB and Nakuru, the Leos will look to finish this trilogy of giants with at least a win. Past encounters favour the defending champions with the last encounter here ending in a rather convincing win for them. The Leos will however look at this Quins side and think to themselves ‘Hey we can do this,” Their opponents having drawn against Machine, lost to Nondies and Mwamba sides they have comprehensively beaten. On the touch lines it will be a battle of boss against assistant as former sevens coach Mitch Ocholla comes up against his assistant Charles Cardovillis, the two are bound to know each others tactics inside out, this one promises to be a match won on technical detail.

The top of the table clash at the NAC between KCB and Nakuru carries more than just the title of league leader at the end. Both sides are unbeaten in this campaign, the Lions with 7 wins and a draw with the Wanyore having drawn twice and winning the rest of their fixtures. It is not news anymore that Nakuru have put together an impressive home record, for KCB this will be added incentive to be the first side to beat Nakuru at home in over a year. Last time KCB were here, they narrowly lost 8-3 in a match that saw Nakuru’s defence stand the pounding that KCB were handing. This one promises to be a titanic battle, both sides like to play directly relying heavily on their forwards. On this occasion though, I do think the two sets of backs will have a great role to play, there’s very little to pick in the forwards thus it will be the more clinical backs that will carry the day for their side. It will be a game of very fine margins, a lapse in concentration might be the difference between the two.

Kisumu vs Impala (4pm, Kisumu Poly)

Western Bulls vs Homeboyz (4pm, Kakamega high)

BlakBlad vs Mwamba (4pm, KU)

Machine vs Nondies (4pm, UoN)

Quins vs Strathmore (4pm, RFUEA)

Nakuru vs KCB (4pm, NAC)

Onto my predictions:

Kisumu 12-35 Impala

Western Bulls 21-21 Homeboyz (4pm, Kakamega high)

BlakBlad 15-45 Mwamba (4pm, KU)

Machine 15-25 Nondies (4pm, UoN)

Quins 20-17 Strathmore (4pm, RFUEA)

Nakuru 12-12 KCB (4pm, NAC)

In other happening, this week saw the provisional fifteens squad of 35 named as was the sevens side to do duty in Wellington and Vegas. The union also released the new look Bamburi Super series with reconstituted franchises complete with new names, a new management team and already set technical benches. Oh and the sevens team also went to visit the Baks, that’s worth a mention anywhere..

I will probably throw in my two cents on the above in a later post..of note though is the inclusion of development players in the fifteens set up.

The sevens team departed for Wellington earlier today..all the best Mboys!!!

With that fair ladies and gents..Mambas, Kibokos, Swilas, Kengewas and Mburukenges to be (oh sorry hakuna mburukenge)

Have a super duper weekend ahead aaannnndddddd…..

KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!!!