Kenya 7s head coach Benjamin Ayimba when conducting training in Nairobi.PHPTO/Raymond Makhaya.
The national team failed to match Port Elizabeth results where they finished fourth but Ayimba was not a worried man after seeing his charges bundled out in Wellington at the Plate semi-finals by Argentina who beat them 35-14.
Kenya had began well on Day one, continuing where they left after a stellar performance south Africa, thrashing Canada and Portugal before going down to Australia in Pool D fixtures where Billy Odhiambo and record try scorer Collins Injera shone.
The final day was a nightmare to Ayimba boys where they bowed out winless after New Zealand who eventually won the the third round at home demolished Shujaa 36-0 to relegate them to the Plate competition.
“The team is gelling well towards the crucial mid season tournaments and we expect to have a consistent side as we continue with out plan to nature new players in preparation to the Olympics.
“Fans expected us to replicate South Africa performance but this is a game and everybody wants to win. We as a team take it as an improvement. We have learnt our weakness and we are going to work on the mistakes we did in Wellington,” Ayimba underscored.
Kenya who moved a point up in the standings to seat eighth on 71 points head to the fourth leg this weekend in Sydney, Australia with their heads high, where they will take on perennial rivals South Africa, Scotland and new comers Russia in a tricky Pool B.
Among the mistakes that Ayimba will be looking to whittle out is the defence that costed the team a perfect unbeaten start in the opening day where they lost 12-17 to Australia in their last preliminary match.
In the cup quarters, the All Blacks outclassed Kenya in making sure they deny them possession and raised the intensity to avoid embarrassment in front of supporters.
In the Plate semis, Argentina followed the same script and just played on Kenya’s face as they proved a hard nut to crack.
Ayimba is expected to make no changes in his squad that saw fly-half Biko Adema feature in his career 50th tournament in Wellington.
Sydney is one of the three new legs added to tournament this season.
New Zealand won the tournament after edging out series leaders South Africa 24-21.
Overall series defending Fiji finished third after overcoming England 12-34, Australia beat Argentina 21-5 to lift the Plate, Samoa won Bowl courtesy of their 19-7 victory over Scotland while France settled for Shield following their 14-7 win over Russia.
