Kabras RFC dominance in Enterprise Cup continued as they registered their fourth consecutive win over KCB Rugby in the competition with a 25-21 victory at Kakamega Showgrounds.
The Sugarmen, who last lost in the Enterprise Cup on April 28, 2018, to Impala in the semifinals, have now booked their fifth consecutive final in the tournament. This was the first semifinal meeting between the two sides, with Kabras having won the last three Enterprise Cup finals against KCB Rugby.
KCB took an early lead when Austin Sikutwa slotted in a penalty for a 3-0 advantage after Kabras conceded.
However, Kabras had the perfect response as Griffin Chao fielded a clearance from KCB and hit them on the counter to score. Ntabeni Dukisa converted for a 7-3 lead.
KCB stayed composed and patiently built up play, leading to a try by Andy Cole Omolo, which handed them an 8-7 lead after Sikutwa missed the conversion.
The Bankers continued piling pressure on Kabras, and a Levy Amunga drop goal pushed them to an 11-7 advantage.
Kabras hit back when Chao latched onto a kick by Dukisa and raced to score in the corner, reclaiming the lead at 12-11 after Dukisa missed the conversion attempt.
Eric Cantona extended the lead to 15-11 with a well-taken drop goal. Dukisa’s aerial kicks proved fruitful as Chao fielded one and offloaded to Walter Okoth for a corner try. This time, Dukisa converted, giving Kabras a 22-11 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the score remained unchanged until Sikutwa slotted in a penalty to close the gap to 22-14. Dukisa responded with three more points, making it 25-14. Kabras were then reduced to 14 men when Walter Okoth was sin-binned for an intentional tap.
Despite missing several opportunities to extend their lead, including kicks by Dukisa and Cantona, Kabras held firm.
Omolo dived over for KCB, and a successful conversion by Sikutwa brought the score to 25-21, increasing the pressure on the Sugarmen. However, Kabras held on to secure the win and book a place in the final.
In the other semifinal, Menengai Oilers stormed into their maiden Enterprise Cup final with a commanding 41-10 victory over Nondies RFC in a match played on Saturday, at the Nakuru Showgrounds.
Despite Nondies showing early intent, Oilers capitalized on a numerical advantage when Daniel Okito was sent off.
Fullback Tony Oketch, running a brilliant support line, dived over for the opening try, setting the tone for the home side.
Samuel Ovwamu extended the lead, brushing off two defenders to score under the posts for a 12-0 advantage.
Nelson Makokha’s 60-meter sprint after intercepting a pass made it 17-0 before Daniel Kipchirchir strolled in for Oilers’ fourth try.
Nondies finally got on the board when Sankara Wafula finished off a well-worked move to make it 22-5 at halftime.
The second half was all Oilers, with Alvin Khavolifinishing off a brilliant counterattack before Samuel Were muscled his way over for their sixth try.
Musonye’s late effort stretched the lead to 41-5, with Nondies grabbing a late consolation throughTony Fidens.
With this victory, Oilers now prepare for a massive final showdown against Kabras, slated for 19 April.
