NAIROBI, Kenya, June 23 – The national women’s rugby 7s team are 14 minutes away from competing in their third Olympics appearance after a nervy 12-10 win over the Czech Republic in the semis of the World Rugby Repechage in Monaco on Sunday evening.
Naomi Amuguni got the Lionesses started when she burst through a barrage of Czech players in Kenya’s 22 to comfortably touch down on the white chalk.
Grace Adhiambo then converted between the posts to add gloss on the scoreline.
Coach Dennis ‘Ironman’ Mwanja’s charges seemed to have smelled blood and went for the kill.
Japan-based Janet Okello continued her player-of-the-tournament performance when she muscled through on the right flank to score her fourth try of the competition.
However, the Eastern Europeans replied just before the break, their dangerwoman Kristyna Riegertova sprinting down the left wing to score her sixth try.
Lionesses came back in the second half re-energised and motivated to close out the game.
They enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and were camped in their opponents’ 22 but were let down by ball handling mistakes and the Czech’s resolute defending.
With a minute to the final whistle, the roles reversed with the Czech’s seeking a try to take the game to extra time.
A forward pass in the Kenyan half, with seconds to go, resulted in a scrum from which Julie Durychova emerged with the ball to race down to the try-line.
However, it took a minute for referee Cisco Lopez to confirm it as a try even as replays sought to ascertain whether the oval ball had touched the white chalk amid pressure from Judith Auma.
With the try confirmed, it was left to Julie Dulezilova to convert between the posts and level the scores.
Thankfully, her scoring boots were off colour and she kicked wide off the posts sparking wide celebrations from the Lionesses.
Up next is a date with China, who ousted Poland 40-7 in the other semi-final clash.
Kenya will be encouraged by the fact that they are the only team to have beaten the rampant Chinese – 17-12 at the first leg of the Challenger Series in Dubai in January.
