- The Lionesses beat Zambia 36-17
- They earned a bonus point from the win
- They next face hosts Uganda
The Kenya Lionesses started their Rugby Africa Women’s Pool B campaign with a 36-17 bonus point win over Zambia at the Wankulukuku Stadium in Kampala, Uganda on Saturday. They were made to fight for the win against a stubborn Zambian side that refused to be easily put away.
Captain Peruz Muyuka landed an unconverted try for 5-0 lead before Grace Adhiambo converted Naomi Amuguni’s try for a 12-0 score after a period of dogged Zambian resistance.
Anne Goretti then added a drop goal for a 15-0 score before tries from Meryl Lyamba and Millie Katombo in between a Goretti penalty brought the score to 18-12.
Christine Lindo scored on the stroke of halftime to give the Lionesses a 23-12 lead at the break.
A change in the frontrow saw Natasha Emali come in for Evelyne Kalemera,giving the Lionesses the impetus in the forwards.
The fruits were soon borne when Leah Wambui went over the chalk, Goretti sure with the conversion for a 30-12 score.
Goretti drives another penalty home
Another Goretti penalty took Kenya 33-12 up before Lyamba added her brace,33-17 the score with 15 minutes to play.
Goretti then scored the last points of the game, drilling home a penalty to give Lionesses the lead and Pool B leadership heading into the crunch match against Uganda on November 2.
Skipper Muyuka said; “We won yes but I believe there are many things that we didn’t do right. We were slow on the ball and that is something we need to improve. We have to be firmer in our attacks and ensure we convert the opportunities we get,” she said.
Head coach Dennis Mwanja added; “A winning start is always refreshing but of course we have to do better against a tougher Uganda side. We had some few errors that saw us give away easy tries and we will try tighten on these areas.”
Coach Mwanja took a relatively experienced squad to Uganda, with four debutants.
Excited team
Commenting on the squad Mwanja said, “The girls are very excited, we are equally excited as a technical bench. We’ve put in a lot of work in preparing for this tournament. The team has been challenging to name because of the talent and competitiveness within the squad.
“We have four debutantes, namely Natasha Emali who was a late call up who has proved her worth. We also have Hesla Khisa, another late call up who alongside Natasha has brought a lot of impact and shown her hunger to play for the Lionesses. The other two debutantes are Phoebe Akinyi and Naomi Jelagat who only started playing rugby two years ago,” he added.
The winner of this tournament will qualify for next year’s Rugby Africa Cup which serves as a qualifier for the inaugural World Women 15s WXV in 2023.
Lionesses squad to Kampala:
Peruz Muyuka (CAPTAIN), Stephanie Waithera, Rose Otieno, Evelyne Kalemera, Natasha Emali, Staycy Atieno, Knight Otwoma, Bernadette Olesia, Hesla Khisa , Phoebe Akinyi, Naomi Amuguni, Diana Kemunto, Prisca Nyerere, Leah Wambui, Grace Adhiambo, Ann Goretti, Jean Bisela, Maureen Muritu, Stellah Wafulah, Judith Akumu, Winnie Owino, Naomi Jelagat, Christabel Lindo, Laurine Akoth, Terry Ayesa
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