Why Kenya Should Throw Everything At This World Cup Qualifier

In exactly 24 days, the Kenya fifteens will take on Namibia at the Mahamasina Stadium in Madagascar, in the first match of three that will hopefully culminate in Kenya booking her ticket to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

rugby-world-cup-2015-logo

I have come to realise that most people haven’t fully understood just what qualifying for the Rugby world cup actually means, especially to a country like ours. In the fewest words possible, IT IS A GAME CHANGER!!

Qualification means we jump into the top 20 in the IRB rankings, which in turn comes with heaps of funding from the IRB. Our players will be exposed to the biggest stage in world rugby, and with that a chance to play in the best leagues in the world.

With that and many more in mind, I think we should put our absolute best foot forward in Madagascar, throw everything in our Arsenal at it if you may. In the last weeks the fifteens training side has seen inclusion of players from the sevens team, in an effort to find this best foot.

Some have raised concerns over these inclusions, concerns which hold no water in my eyes. Yes the side has been working towards this for almost over two years, won the Africa cup and been to the Vodacom cup during that period.

These additions in my view, wont water down any progress rather compliment the same. Remember these are top players who have vast experience, adjusting wont be an issue and indeed they have done it before.

Those concerns also point the fact that the inclusion of the sevens players sends a bad message to the players who have been in the side for the last two years. Again remember we are looking for our absolute best foot. There’s a saying that goes ‘In order to be the best, you have to beat the best.” I don’t imagine that they will have a problem in proving their worth..

Every grain of energy and resource should be channelled towards successful qualification, let us not sit here after the qualifiers then say ‘we could have..’

All eyes will be on Jerome and the technical bench on the 23 they will settle on to take on the Western Province at the weekend. With the Commonwealth games still 50 plus days away expect some of the sevens players to feature in Madagascar, that is if they do make the cut.

On the qualification process, we have two routes to make it to the World cup, there is the Africa qualifiers which most of you know. If we do win in Madagascar then we proceed as Africa 1, where we join Pool C alongside defending champions New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Georgia.

If we finish second in Madagascar, we go ahead to play in the repechage where we will face Russia. If we get past Russia then we meet the winner between Uruguay and Hong Kong for a spot in Pool A with Australia, hosts England, Wales and the qualifier from Oceania.

KWISHA…Nimeruka Nje!!!!

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Poghie

A rugby fan having fun!

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