NAIROBI, Kenya, December 4 – Kenya will meet New Zealand in the Dubai Sevens main cup quarter finals on Saturday morning after losing 27-10 to England in their final Pool C match on Friday.
Last season’s top try scorer Collins Injera put Kenya ahead with a length of the field try but a quick brace from his opposite number Nick Royle brought England back into the match and to lead 12-10 at the break.
England up the ante in the second as they capitalized on Kenya’s inability to hold the ball in contact to score three breakaway tries through Jake Abbot, Ben Gollings and Matt Turner.
It had been a roller coaster first day for Kenya at the Sevens Stadium convincingly beating Russia 26-5 and then coming back from 21-0 down in the first four minutes to beat the United States 31-26 in a nine try thriller.
Benjamin Ayimba will be heartened by the 11 tries his team managed to score but ball retention will be a major concern on Saturday.
Unlike their previous two matches, Kenya were quick off the blocks against England as Injera’s first try was a perfect example of how to turn defence into attack with the desired result.
Royle capped off a period of England pressure with a scything run through Kenyan territory for a 7-5 lead.
Injera and Royle again exchanged tries in the closing stages of the match to leave it perfectly poised at 12-10 at half time.
In the second period, Kenya’s vulnerability was exposed when they conceded the three tries which were scored through counter attacks.
Earlier, Humphrey Kayange and company staged a remarkable comeback in their epic match against the United States to win in dramatic circumstances.
Horace Otieno proved his worth as an impact player to score the winning try and secure a place in the quarter finals.
