Litmus test for Shujaa as Sevens Series resume in Vancouver

Shujaa faces a litmus test as the World Sevens Series resumes this weekend in Vancouver, Canada.

Kevin Wambua’s charges are in a tough Pool ‘A’ where they their preliminary rounds campaign against high-flying Argentina at 12:08 am on Saturday at the BC Place.

The two sides last met at the Cape Town Sevens in December with the South American running out 26-14 winners. Shujaa arrived in Vancouver on Sunday and had four days to prepare and acclimatise to the cold and wintery conditions in the Canadian city.

Wambua said Argentina are a physical side that will test them accordingly.

“We played with them in Cape Town and we matched them in the first half. We just need to cut out the errors we committed and ensure we win the aerial battle, be efficient at the breakdown and be clinical when the opportunities arise in attack,” said Wambua.

The Argentine side has a wealth of experience and youth with the likes of speedster Marcos Moneta, Santiago Alavarez and Luciano Gonzalez.

Overall, Argentina have beaten Kenya 21 times since the inception of the World Seven Series in 1999, with Kenya winning seven times and one draw.

Shujaa will then face France at 5:13 am. The two sides last met at the Dubai Sevens with the Europeans winning 24-19 in an entertaining duel. Wambua expects a competitive contest.

“The French play with flair and speed and are solid in their set-piece. It’s going to be a fascinating contest. From our video reviews there are areas where we know we can hurt them,” added Wambua.

France hold the head-tohead advantage with 18 wins against Kenya’s seven. Kenya’s final match will be against Great Britain at 10:58 pm. It’s a match with huge implications in terms of relegation and promotion.

Shujaa are ninth on the log with 14 points while their opponents are eighth with 20 points. A win for Kenya will be massive.

“It’s the team we want to overhaul in the standings and keep our core status. (A win) will be a big boost for us psychologically,” observed Wambua.

In seven meetings between the two, the Europeans have won five times against Shujaa one and one draw. Co-captain Samuel Asati said they are confident of good results after working on their mistakes in the last tournament in Perth.

“Our catch-pass, line-out and kick-off reception are some of the areas we have worked on. We are looking forward to the tournament,” he said.