Gibson Weru's motivation to Menengai Oilers players after losing two Sevens' Circuit finals
Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 27.08.24. | 14:38
The Oilers have reached the last two finals; Dala 7s and Kabeberi 7s, but went down to Kabras RFC and KCB Rugby respectively
Menengai Oilers head coach Gibson Weru has challenged his players to rise above adversity in the remaining two legs of the 2024 National Sevens Circuit.
The Oilers have reached the last two finals; Dala 7s and Kabeberi 7s, but went down to Kabras RFC and KCB Rugby respectively.
Mozzart Sport chatted with Weru after the Kabeberi 7s final where they lost 29-7 to KCB Rugby to finish second. Dennis Abukuse scored the Oilers' sole try in the match.
Weru was glad that they defied the odds to book a place in the final, but offered them motivation to help his players break the jinx and win a title.
They currently sit fourth on the log with 60 points, 15 points shy of log leaders Kenya Harlequin.
“I tell them (players) that they really must be hungry to win a final. It is not given to them. That is the thing they need to learn from this; to be proactive and to act quickly.
We also have to take opportunities when we have them. Critical moments require critical decisions. If we do not react effectively then it becomes hard to come back.
We still have two legs to try and win them all. It will not be easy, but the players will leverage the experience they are getting to play well,” he said.
The Nakuru-based club started the circuit on a low. They ended the Christie 7s at position six before dropping to seventh position after Ingo 7s.
Oilers then bounced back to grace two semifinals. Weru attributed their shaky start to the lack of an experienced side.
“It is the personnel. The first legs we had a young team. We were averaging eight debutants per tournament and it is not easy to win with such a calibre of players. Now we have experienced players back and it is a matter of gelling the team,” he revealed.
While disappointed with their performance so far, Weru remained optimistic that they would bounce back and win the final two legs of the circuit.
“Two finals, two losses, it was very disappointing. I felt that we were not in this final, and the Dala 7s as well. A final is a game of very tight margins. It is up to the players,” he revealed.
Last year, they reached the finals of the Driftwood 7s but lost 10-7 to Kabras RFC on sudden death. They will be keen to claim the title this time round.
The circuit takes a break before returning with Driftwood 7s from Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 September. Following that, fans will head to Nakuru from Saturday 14 to Sunday 15 September for the Prinsloo 7s which will be the final leg of the 2024 circuit.
