Shujaa troubles continue after Great Britain defeat leaves them winless in Bordeaux
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 06.06.26. | 12:26
Kenya now have an anxious wait as they occupy the last of the top eight places on the standings
Kenya Sevens national team, Shujaa, ended their pool campaign at the third leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Bordeaux, France, without a victory after suffering a 14-5 defeat to Great Britain on Saturday, 6 June.
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The loss extended Kenya’s winless run in Bordeaux following earlier defeats to Fiji and South Africa, leaving Kevin Wambua’s charges still searching for their first victory of the tournament.
Unlike previous World Championship stops where Shujaa recovered from opening losses to win their final pool match and secure a place in the quarter-finals, fortune was not on their side this time around as Great Britain proved too strong in the decisive clash.
Great Britain started brightly after the kick-off, but Kenya initially responded well with David Nyangige gathering possession and the team earning a scrum following a British infringement.
With Kenya sitting eighth on the standings with 14 points and Great Britain 12th on four points heading into the encounter, Shujaa looked determined to bounce back.
Dennis Abukuse made a strong carry from the scrum to gain valuable metres, but Kenya lost possession near the opposition’s 22 as Great Britain’s physical defence forced a turnover.
The pressure soon paid off for the Britons. A well-weighted kick from Graham was chased down by Charlton Kerr, who beat Samuel Asati’s tackle attempt to touch down for the opening try. The conversion sailed through to hand Great Britain a 7-0 lead.
Kenya had a chance to respond after Abukuse forced a turnover deep in their own half, but they failed to capitalize.
Great Britain quickly regained possession and struck again when Finley Lloyd Gilmour raced clear to score their second try. The conversion was successful, giving Great Britain a comfortable 14-0 advantage at the halftime break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Great Britain dominating the breakdowns and repeatedly winning crucial turnovers. Kenya enjoyed moments of possession, including after a British lineout error, but struggled to maintain momentum as their opponents’ physicality continued to disrupt their attacks.
As the match entered its closing stages, it turned into an end-to-end contest. Great Britain threatened to add to their tally inside Kenya’s 22, but determined defence from Shujaa prevented another score.
With less than a minute remaining, Kenya finally found a breakthrough as Patrick Odongo crossed over for Shujaa’s first try of the match after sustained pressure near the British line. However, the conversion attempt drifted wide.
With the hooter already having sounded, Great Britain kicked the ball into touch to bring the contest to an end and seal a 14-5 victory.