Ayumba Ayodi
7 February 2010
Nairobi — Impala Rugby Football Club retained the Resolution Health Impala Floodlit rugby tournament title with a breathtaking Kelvin Omiyo try in a thrilling final at Ngong Road on Saturday night.
It was an explosive fray of the forwards from onset as the Red Shirts, for the second consecutive year, pipped Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) 17-13 for their sixth Floodlit success and a handsome winner's Sh200,000 cheque.
Man-of-the-tournament, Noordine Alenga, scored two penalties and a drop goal to propel Mang'u to a 9-0 win over gallant Moi Forces Academy in the Schools' final.
The bankers battled hard with a good display from a resurgent former international Dennis "Ironman" Mwanja, who was declared the Resolution Health East Africa-sponsored tournament's most valuable player.
But Michael "Tank" Otieno's charges ultimately paid dearly for a cocktail of infringements in their 22, gifting the Gazelles several penalties which fly half Moses Kola's boot didn't fail to convert four of them.
KCB are the 2005 and 2007 titleholders and lost 34-14 to Impala in last year's final. Impala went into the final with back-to-back successes in 1999 to 2001. They also won it in 2003 and 2009.
The Gazelles started strongly putting KCB's defence under pressure to claim an early a penalty that Kola curled over.
Both sides chose to keep the ball in hand but as the game progressed, Impala proved astute in their tactical although failed to crack the code pass KCB's try line.
Impala had plan 'B' where they forced KCB into committing mistakes and the bankers were to fall prey to when they conceded two penalties. Kola made no mistake with his boot to give Impala a 9-5 lead.
They score was to stay to interval after Impala warded off late drives.
Scuttle the pressure
Impala never left their legs off the gas pedal and more pressure and another penalty by Kola seemed to disorient KCB. The bankers resorted to kicking the balls back into Impala's half to scuttle the pressure.
They got a penalty which Peter Mutai slotted and managed to break but the move was nipped for a line-out ball few metres away. KCB put the ball into the maul for a pushover try by Benjamin Otieno.
Impala looked the more confident side and as referee Raymond Oruo prepared for full time, the Gazelles took a burst, weaved through some tackles, for a well-crafted winning try by Omiyo to much celebration from the partisan crowd.
"Our strong character and defence won this epic clash," said Impala captain Nato Simiyu.