Kenya Chipu stun Zimbabwe to qualify for the World Rugby U20 Trophy
By Rama Mohammed |
This was sweet revenge for Kenya Chipu who lost at home to Zimbabwe last year
In a thrilling match at Harare Sports Club's Machinery Exchange Stadium on Sunday, Kenya's under-20 national rugby team, Chipu, defeated reigning champions Zimbabwe 28-13 to win the 2024 Barthes Trophy.
This win not only secured Chipu's triumph but also earned them a spot in the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Scotland, marking their third appearance in the global event since 2019.
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Their journey to victory began with a 36-28 win against Namibia, followed by a dominant 56-17 victory over Tunisia in their second pool match.
The encounter wasn't unfamiliar ground for Zimbabwe and Chipu, who had previously met in the 2023 Barthes Cup finals at Nyayo Stadium. In that match, Zimbabwe's Junior Sables defeated Chipu 28-7 to claim the tournament title. They also clashed in the World Rugby U20 Trophy fifth-place match, where Zimbabwe outperformed Chipu with a score of 64-10.
This time, Chipu entered the tournament as underdogs due to previous defeats and limited preparation time, but they were determined to turn the tide.
Zimbabwe took an early lead with a try from a lineout and maul, though they missed the conversion, settling for a 5-0 advantage within the first 10 minutes. The Junior Sables extended their lead with another unconverted try 17 minutes into the game, courtesy of Edward Sigauke.
However, Chipu swiftly regained momentum, with Iddo Kuta scoring their first try and James Please adding the extras to bring the score to 10-7. Despite Bramwel Anekea receiving a yellow card for an infringement, Chipu maintained their focus and managed to score another try through Jackson Siketa's individual effort, followed by Michael Wamalwa's powerful run to increase their lead. Despite missing the conversion, Chipu secured the lead.
Motivated by their try, Chipu continued to dominate, with Patrick Wainaina scoring from a scrum to solidify their lead, ending the first half with a score of 17-10 in their favour.
In the second half, Chipu intensified their efforts, with Olela converting a penalty to extend their lead to 20-10. Despite missing two chances to converteffortsty, Chipu remained
Sigauke's sidelined status led to a penalty that reduced Zimbabwe to 14 men. Although Chipu failed to capitalise on the numerical advantage, Benoni Nhekairo managed to score for Zimbabwe, narrowing the gap to 20-13.
Undeterred, Chipu pressed on, sealing their victory with a try from Andycolle Omollo, followed by Philip Okeyo's penalty kick to conclude the match with a final score of 28-13 in favour of the Kenyan team.
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