Blak Blad pull major upset to end KCB's five-year Impala Floodies dominance

Kenyatta University's Blak Blad delivered a major upset on Saturday night, defeating defending champions KCB 9-8 in a tense late kick-off at the Impala Club, bringing an end to KCB’s five-year dominance in the Impala Floodlit Tournament.

KCB, who had held the title since 2017, entered the contest with hopes of extending their reign. However, a resilient Blak Blad side stood firm throughout the match, frustrating their opponents at every turn.

Blak Blad opened the scoring when Kelvin Gathu capitalized on a KCB infringement to slot in a penalty, giving them an early 3-0 lead. Shortly after, Gathu doubled the advantage with another penalty, putting Blad up 6-0.

KCB responded just before halftime, using a powerful maul to drive over for a try in the right corner, reducing the deficit to 6-5.

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In the second half, Blak Blad had opportunities to extend their lead, but Gathu missed two consecutive penalties. However, he made up for the misses by converting a third penalty, giving Blak Blad a 9-5 cushion after KCB vice-captain Peter Waitere was shown a yellow card for a late tackle and failure to wrap.

Despite KCB's relentless efforts, Blak Blad continued to frustrate their opponents, with Gathu narrowly missing a penalty and a drop goal attempt. KCB had chances to regain the lead, but costly errors, including a knock-on during a promising penalty play, hindered their progress.

Substitutes Samuel Asati, Levy Amunga, and Horus Alela tried to inject fresh energy into KCB’s game, but Alela's trip to the sin bin added to their woes. Amunga managed to slot in a late penalty, bringing KCB within a point at 9-8.

In the dying moments, KCB thought they had snatched a last-minute victory with a try. However, after consulting the assistant referee, the referee disallowed the score due to an earlier high tackle by KCB, calling the playback for a penalty.

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Blak Blad held on for the narrow win, securing their spot in the semifinals and ending KCB's five-year reign at the Impala Floodlit Tournament.

2024 Floodies QF Results

Nondies 24-8 Strathmore Leos

Menengai Oilers 45-3 CUEA Monks

Impala 18-3 Mwamba Rugby

Stallions 26-23 Zetech Oaks