 We're on Y254, I'm Robert Osoro, I'm still joined by Sami Gitae here and the Director of Youth and Innovation at the Kenya Rugby Union. We call him Mualim Kikechi, combo, who is here with us to talk about the big match that has actually kicked off right now one minute in between Cabraz Sugar RFC versus KCB RFC. Big match that everyone is waiting for outside there Mualim. Ya, it's true. It's now the time of the year where Kenya Cup we've had a very difficult season but now it's good that they're playing the finals and people are waiting. And fans for the two teams actually are also waiting to see which team will match the best. And this difficult condition but teams have played and we've seen how they have been played. Two of them were stoppages, the league was going on a few weeks without rugby because of the restriction and protocol of COVID. But finally things have come to the end of the year 2021, big one going down there in Nandi Bears. Two of Kenya's biggest teams in rugby at the moment, Cabraz and KCB. Some defensively all of them are good, offensively all of them are good. Where do you think it will be won between these two sides? Well, actually on my area I was listening to the assistant manager Habimana for Cabraz who was talking and he said that the only edge where they think they have against KCB is in their defense. And in the break I was looking at the stats where in the last 11 matches Cabraz has only considered 100 points and then ACB in the last 11 matches considered 64. I don't know whether that's testament to what you were saying about Cabraz having a better defense. Maybe you could explain that to us if that's the case really because it seems that Cabraz has that edge in defense. Well, you are saying Cabraz have really invested in the high performance and that's where they have strengthened their defense for the matches that have fought them play this season. But what I normally say about the finals is anybody's game and it can go either side. It depends on how the coach has organized his players and how the coordination with the play, how it will be. Yes. Also look at sometimes when South Africa played against England the finals where South Africa or England had known that they were going to win after beating New Zealand but they ended up losing with a big margin. It was unbelievable. Yes. So when you look at this particular match Cabraz for this KCB, well it depends on how attack and how you also be able to kind of play around with the mind game. Because if you get a penalty every time you go ahead with the penalties and you get a penalty, you convert, you have your kickers, okay? Yes. You find that now you also be able to trail and put the other team under pressure. As much the other team might be good in terms of play but you see now every time you go ahead it's about a win. Sometimes you also come and weaken the mental strength of the other team and you end up winning because sometimes that's what coaches used to serentate the rhythm of the other players or the other team. And actually talking about that aspect, how you've mentioned about the penalties and how you kick it. Yes. I've seen another battle probably that we are going to see today about Darwin Mukidza and Kubu. And Khaveni I guess was being mentioned too. Yes. I don't know who is the better kicker between the two or do you think that's also going to be a part of the game that many people are not looking at but might win the game for team? Yes. Okay when it comes to such a match normally coaches go for experienced players to get involved in such critical areas. Yes. But when you see Darwin Mukidza with that experience I think probably might involve him more in that. But Kablas might go for John Kubu because he's a very tactical guy in terms of conversions. In any angle you always make sure that it goes in. So probably this is the time now the coaches will be able to see who is better in this particular area on their kicks to score and put the team ahead. Good point you're bringing that one up because I'm looking at some of the preview of that game and kicking has actually come in into this discussion. And when you look at the kicking as they have actually put it, you look at the Kablas and Khaveni Dukisa who had 103 points past KCB in the regular season. When it comes to kicking and conversions because he had 36 conversions, 7 penalties and 3 tries. And the KCB game Mukidza is the closest challenger there coming with 49 points where he had 13 conversions, 6 penalties and a try. So that is another area that all teams now will be looking at as also it can be a decision making factor for them in the game. Okay fine. When it comes to the statistics, that particular statistics, that statistics is not between the two teams. The statistics carries across the entire league and we have some of the teams that were very weak. We find that probably the margin was 55, 0 or probably 60. But when you look at the statistics of the two teams, the margin is very close. In fact when the KCB played with Kablas that much could have gone either side. Just that they were able to hold on their win and Kablas imagine the winner. And maybe just to pick you up on that because you talked about playing against Rika teams. Well Kablas and KCB we've seen they are the best really and they have the best kind of sponsorship that they are getting in with the resources. What do you think about the condition of our league? Are we in a good place that we have two teams that are dominant over the rest? Well we look as per now. Every season changes and it depends on how clubs organise themselves and the resources they pull in. But when you look at this particular season, I find that Kablas and KCB were much organised. But KCB also came in from Oilas. Yes. That's just a team that came through the championship. That's the third season and they are also playing well. And also Strathmore. They are the ones they want to get into the final. Strathmore and Oilas. So it depends on how the teams are investing. How the management is investing with their team. And there's a time even we saw when you go through history. We have non-dies who have been doing well. We have Muambab and Queens and Himpala. They have also done well. So it is kind of erratic. But as the season goes on you find that teams are also trying to strengthen their squad. They bring in coaches. And also as Kenyarag Biyunyan, this is an effort we are putting in terms of T&E. Where we have these courses. Apart from doing for the coaches, having gotten to level 2. That's where we are heading. All the coaches for this particular team. Division 1, even the nationwide. At least for them to have a level 2. But also we are going in for the players also. Probably to have a level 1 in coaching. Level 1 in refing. I think that one will also be able to uplift our game. So the union is playing a bigger role. Also towards this particular club. And you see the margin of this particular club because of the effort of the union. In terms of training of this particular coaches and also putting in resources. You find it has brought the league to be very, very competitive. And I think that's one of our objectives. And on our strategic plan for Kenyarag Biyunyan. And you might actually get into a conversation there where also KCBRFC is also trying to join into the club ledger. The clubs you have actually mentioned like Nondis. Who had won the Kenyakap 4 times in a row. So KCB is also trying to get into that level. They are pushing it to get into that level. And they have to be lucky that some of the best players are back now. The likes of Amonda now. Going there. Katis. Lilako. The captain is also with them. Those are some of the few names I've mentioned. What are coming on to the KCB line up. Mukiza also coming on to the KCB line up there. What do you make of the chances today finally? Where do you put your money? Well just looking at the teams on paper. I would really bet it on KCB. Because they have got that record. As you have talked about them meeting in four final appearances. And them winning them all. I think that maybe could be something that KCB look upon. But then it's not good to underestimate Cabral. Because as I mentioned before the last time they lost the game was in December 2019. Yes. And they beat KCB in the regular season. 100% record in the league. I think we should be wary of them. But at the end of the day looking at the team that has been filled up there for KCB. I see lots of quality that could win this game for them. According to their assistant coach Dennis Mwanja of KCB. Their dream is to win it five times in a row. They have already won twice in a row. This is the third one. Can that dream be true? Winning today also? I think it's possible. It's possible. Very much possible. It depends on the strength of the team. That's why I'm saying let's have my comment on who is going to win. Because it's too close to call. It's too close. Because they are the top teams and they have top players across the country. What is the international players playing today? It's too close to call. Well, it is the touchline here on Y25. It was hanging out with Kikechi Combo, the director of youth and innovation at the Kenya rugby union. And Sami Gita, who is my co-host today here on the touchline. Big match. It's currently going on. And it's live. You can watch it. Cabras RFC versus KCB. After 80 minutes you're going to know who the winner of that match is. So for me I preserved my one but I'll be celebrating internally to know who the winner of that match will be. But also still sticking with Mother's rugby. The seventh is also coming back starting with Vancouver and then Edmond that will be coming later this month. Yeah, this month of September. And I think Kenya stands a good chance because we've just come from the Olympic and some of the teams were not able to qualify for the Olympic. And Kenya having played at the Olympic I think they have an upper hand in Vancouver and Canada. It's been a good hunting ground for Kenya. I remember they met in the finals when they last played in Vancouver in Fiji. And they also end again to meet in Fiji in Hong Kong. But unfortunately Hong Kong and Singapore cancelled. But the two legs that have been in Canada, what rugby has organized has been played in Canada. I think it will be good for the seventh rugby. And you find that seventh rugby is where the African team has gotten involved so much. It has two teams playing at high stage. And you find South Africa and Kenya have done so well. They have gone to the finals. Kenya have won in 2016 in Singapore. And South Africa also have been going to the finals unlike the 15 where we've always Namibia has gone and the other second team have gone and they have always left at the premier stage. The big one for us, we are starting with the Vancouver seventh there. Those are chance that Kenya, Vancouver is not bad for us. We were in the finals, Maluma has talked about. We can also go ahead and win this one. Big chance for us that we can get one of these four legs that are coming up. Yeah, it's very interesting. And for me actually it was going to be a question in regards to how the team is going to play because we saw them in the Olympics and I guess we didn't expect the kind of performance they had. We seem to lack some few basics in the team and the team looked to struggle especially in closed doors. I don't know whether that really affects the team when they are playing behind closed doors or is it a thing that professionals need to handle? Sometimes it's just a bad day. Because when you see our boys play at the HHSP series there are some legs that they do well but also it depends on how coaches are protecting their players because you find some players play two legs because of ten series. It's a long just to avoid the burnout of the players but those some have been consistent in that. When I look at the Olympics it's not been a good handling ground but this time they played well and they much improved than how they played in Brazil in Rio. Having won against Ireland, they lost well but they won against Ireland and also Japan I think that was good. Same to Lioness played very fantastic rugby and if we saw how the social media and how those ladies played they played very nice rugby. Is it also going to include the ladies team? Unfortunately Lioness didn't qualify. But played against Colombia also here. Big match by the way that was for us. Very close. Lioness went ahead just unfortunate but that particular last try came in and Colombia were able to manage their game properly and we ended up losing. But it was a big and this was the first time Lioness have gone to that particular stage and I'm seeing come 2025 because now they have increased to 16 teams in 2025. Kenya will be there and they're presenting and we've seen how Kenya Rugby Union have organised already. We have under 20 girls in preparation for qualification of the World Cup coming up. I think 2024 and World Cup and Lioness will be there to present Kenya very well. I've begun for us there but now the 7th captain Andrew Amonda officially retired from international duty. Some of the new faces will be expecting at the 7th stage as we head to Vancouver. We've seen already the coach have drafted the new players coming in and that's been very good for Kenya Rugby where we have continuity where some of the players come out and the other one the cycling of the players and we've seen the 14 young guys like Ben Salim of non script those who come in, we have John Kubu of Cabras, a very tactical guy who also come in. So that momentum of Kenya 7s I see it's going to be maintained as we move forward in terms of participation in the ESP series. But also we have also Commonwealth coming up in Birmingham and Kenya will be there. Kenya has done well also in Commonwealth and also work up in South Africa 2022. It's funny of brought in Commonwealth because I was with a friend of mine last week and he said that in boxing also we have to go against the Commonwealth teams because that is where we usually shine seems to be a trophy we can bring home in the Commonwealth games. Because Commonwealth is a big team there Australia normally and New Zealand South Africa and Kenya if we never Kenya plays in those particular tournaments have done well even the World Cup if I forget about the Olympics see Kenya well how they have played in the World Cup gone to the 7s in Russia and also when they play recently the last one so we've done well that was in San Francisco in USA but Kenya has been top whenever they go for World Cup they know they are going for the big win. Well big one for us to ask you because we have seen the 7s back with starting with the Vancouver 7s the Edmond and then Dubai and I've got to ask you are there talks behind there of Safari 7s also coming up? Ya I think that's where we've been our strength especially for the 7s team whenever we have Safari 7s also 7 series I think that's in the pipeline and soon probably the union will be announcing on that one but it's a hope it's a wish that it goes on because now things are normalizing I think it will be ok but it's unfortunate that Keptan was cancelled and also Singapore because that's what been a good handing crown especially for Kenya in Singapore and also South Africa remember we won against South Africa at home and the fans were very disappointed last time. That is where we leave it here KCB conversation there the final between Cabras and KCB is currently going on and we wish any team their good luck thanks a lot Malum Kiketi Kumbu for coming here on the touchline and Sami Gita Estilia let's go for a break there when we come back we'll be talking much more about the fan zone but let's watch this Champions League winning coach Thomas Tujel on what he has in store for us and how he actually prepares his teams to win