Rugby: Kenya Cup enters penultimate round ahead of playoffs
The penultimate round of matches in the Kenya Cup's league phase take place on Saturday 24 February 2018 across six venues in Nairobi and Nakuru.
Leaders and defending champions KCB, unbeaten all season, are at home to third placed Kabras Sugar at the KCB Sports Club in Ruaraka. The bankers are well aware that victory against Kabras will guarantee them a top two finish with a game of the regular season to spare and with it a home semifinal slot. Kabras, like KCB, are already assured of a berth in the playoffs but they will head to Ruaraka looking to claim their first ever Kenya Cup win over the bankers as they seek to lay claim on a top two finish at the close of the regular season.
Second placed Menengai Cream Homeboyz host bottom of the table Regional Logistics Mombasa in a relatively straightforward fixture at the Jamhuri Park. The deejays will be out to further strengthen their quest for a direct semifinal berth with a bonus point win against the already relegated Mombasa.
Fourth placed Resolution Impala Saracens are already guaranteed qualification to the Top Six playoffs and they host sixth placed Strathmore Leos who currently occupy the final playoff slot. Victory for the Sarries could, depending on the outcome of the KCB- Kabras clash, see them climb to third on the log while a win for the Leos will virtually secure their qualification for the Top Six playoffs.
Fifth place SportPesa Quins host second from bottom Resolution Kisii at the RFUEA. Quins, eliminated from the Kenya Cup at the semifinal stage last season, have already earned the right to feature in the playoffs and know that they must put in a solid performance as they regroup for the business end of Kenya's premier club competition. Kisii, in their maiden season in the top flight, have acquitted themselves well, they have been a plucky opponent and even pulled off the upset 18-12 win over Mwamba a few weeks back. They will head into this tie looking to give a good account of themselves as they continue to add more chapters to their Kenya Cup memoirs.
Top Fry Nakuru, champions in 2013 and 2014, sit seventh on the log, seven points adrift of the Strathmore Leos who are the current occupants of the sixth and final playoff slot. The Wanyore are at home to an eighth placed Nondescripts side won last won the title in 1998 and will look to make the most of the home ground advantage at the Nakuru Athletic Club to win, and win big while counting on a Strathmore loss that would take the fight for sixth place down to the wire.
Stanbic Mwamba and Kenyatta University's Blak Blad face off in the day's sixth fixture at the Nairobi Railway Club. Mwamba cannot make the playoffs but they can certainly use the opportunity to post a win against the plucky students and climb a place higher on the league table.
Collated Round 10 Fixtures, Saturday 24 February 2018
All matches kick off at 4.00pm
KCB v Kabras Sugar – KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka, Nairobi
Menengai Cream Homeboyz v Regional Logistics Mombasa – Jamhuri Park, Nairobi
SportPesa Quins v Resolution Kisii – RFUEA, Nairobi
Stanbic Mwamba v Blak Blad – Railway Club, Nairobi
Resolution Impala Saracens v Strathmore – Impala Club, Nairobi
Top Fry Nakuru v Nondescripts – Nakuru Athletic Club, Nakuru
Upcoming Fixtures Saturday 3 March 2018 Resolution Kisii v Regional Logistics Mombasa – Gusii Stadium, Kisii KCB v Resolution Impala Saracens – KCB Sports Club, Ruaraka, Nairobi Stanbic Mwamba v Top Fry Nakuru – Railway Club, Nairobi Nondescripts v SportPesa Quins – Jamhuri Park, Nairobi Strathmore Leos v Menengai Cream Homeboyz – Madaraka, Nairobi Blak Blad v Kabras Sugar – Kenyatta University, Nairobi
Top Six Playoffs Saturday 10 March 2018
Semifinals Saturday 17 March 2018
Final Saturday 24 March 2018
*NB The top two sides at the end of the Kenya Cup league phase earn direct qualification to the semifinals while the teams in positions 3-6 qualify for the Top Six playoffs from where the qualifiers to the semifinals are determined.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).Media contact: Rugby@APO-opa.org
www.KRU.co.ke
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