KCB coach looking to use all 60 players in Kenya Cup before end of year
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 27.11.24. | 10:34
Mang’eni noted that they have a whole pool of players from the Eric Shirley Cup (ESS) and Kenya Cup to choose from
KCB Rugby head coach Oliver Mang’eni has outlined plans to rotate the full squad before the end of the year.
The former Kenya Simbas player plans to utilize all 60 players in the squad, emphasizing the need for a high-performance culture within the team.
In an exclusive interview with Mozzart Sport after their Kenya Cup opening match against newbies South Coast Pirates, Mang’eni noted that they have a whole pool of players from the Eric Shirley Cup (ESS) and Kenya Cup to choose from.
For instance, this past weekend, they only fielded 23 players since Pirates lacked an ESS team.
“We have like 60 players raising their hands for selection. Since our ESS team did not play, there was even more competition in the team. We are looking to use at least all of them before we go for Christmas," he said.
The Bankers defeated Pirates 95-5 in a match that left no doubt about their intentions this season as they scored 15 tries against Pirates' sole try by Collins Kabayo.
Despite the wide score, the lineout master noted that they did not achieve their set targets.
"We wanted more. We are still short of the targets that we wanted. It is players who set targets, not me,” Mang’eni offered.
And the set target? Defeating the Pirates 120-0, yes you read that right.
“They set a target of 120 and they fell short by 30 points so we will go back and see why they did not achieve the target,” he explained.
One of their major shortcomings was the conversions where they failed to collect the points on several occasions. Mang’eni noted that they would go to the drawing board and right their wrongs.
"From what we have seen, we played well but there are many points we left on the field. It calls for a bit of clinicality. We need to go back to the drawing board and see,” he averred.
With the triumph now behind them, the Bankers will be hoping to pick more points when they travel to Kisumu for their second Kenya Cup match against Kisumu RFC.
“It is one step at a time. We are looking at building a winning culture at the club and by that, we will be looking at a high-performance environment. Once it is in place, then winning will become second nature,” he concluded.
KCB currently sit on top of the league with five points.
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