Defending National 7s Circuit champions KCB Rugby have set their sights on dominating the Dala 7s tournament slated for Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 August at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu.The team’s confidence stems from the inclusion of two Olympic stars in their squad. The duo of Samuel Asati and Festus Shiasi are fresh from the Olympic Games.In an exclusive with Mozzart Sport during their training session at the Ruaraka Grounds, the team’s coach Dennis Mwanja noted that the duo brought a wealth of international experience and winning mentality to the team.Will Kabras RFC finally break jinx and win maiden Dala 7s title?“We look at a better outing in Kisumu given we have the boys from the Olympics back. We have a full house unlike in Kakamega where we had a few injuries,” Mwanja stated.The former Kenya 7s international further explained that they picked invaluable lessons from the past two legs that they were keen to apply in Dala.The Bankers finished fifth during Christie 7s before reaching the final of Ingo 7s where they narrowly lost 17-12 to Quins during sudden death.“There is no clear cut; it is about who makes less mistakes in the game. We have learned critical lessons like staying in the game, especially in the final. In Kakamega, we had the game against the Quins but we did not stay in it. We lost so many chances and the players were not hungry,” he averred.##NAJAVA_MECA_8275704##Mwanja further warned against complacency, emphasizing that the 7s format is notoriously unpredictable and any team was capable of causing an upset on their day.“Every team is a worthy opponent. We have seen some teams coming in strong like Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) Monks, and Kabete Stallions. This is the beauty of 7s. The standards are higher now.Every tournament comes with its own different twists and turns. It is about taking our chances in the game and the players being fresh and able to take instructions. 7s is not smooth sailing. It is a marathon. All we are looking for is consistency, getting into the finals, winning and cumulatively getting the points,” the tactician said.Ouma craving for move to Gor Mahia after failing in 2022The Thika Road-based team has been placed in Pool B that sees them lock horns with Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad, Homeboyz RFC, and Nondies RFC. The main highlight will be the match against Nondies RFC.Nondies defeated them 17-14 during their Christie 7s final pool match and the Bankers are itching for revenge.“Every pool has a riddle. We expect interesting and action-packed pool matches. For Nondies, we have watched them, and now we know better. We look forward to having a great outing,” he concluded.KCB Rugby won the 2023 Dala 7s after defeating rivals Kabras RFC 17-5 and they will be keen to extend their dominance in the lakeside city.
