Kenya Cup: Blak Blad rally to hold Oilers at RFUEA

Blak Blad's Jared Ochieng charges past Menengai Oilers' Edwin Abuga (right) during their Kenya Cup match at RFUEA ground, Nairobi on March 6, 2021.

Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Oilers coach Gibson Weru was lost for words after his team's dismal show.

Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad forwards put in a good show as the varsity students forced a 12-12 draw against favourites Menengai Oilers in a tight Kenya Cup match played at the RFUEA grounds.

It's a match that the varsity students could have put to rest but missed three easy penalties and their last try's conversion.

Winger Timothy Okwemba put Oilers ahead 5-0 at the break before scrum-half Geoffrey Omide converted centre Austin Sikutwa's try to stretch the lead to 12-0.

Then Blak Blad would turn the tide as prop Humphrey Litali landed as fullback Kelvin Gathu converted to cut the deficit to 12-7.

Gathu would miss two penalties that could have put them ahead but made amends to score after sneaking through from a maul.

He missed the crucial conversation that could have settled the duel that saw both teams commit many mistakes.

"This is a match that we could have won easily but our kicker didn't have a good day in office," said Blak Blad coach Motto Williams, who commended his forwards for their formidable display.

"We dominated the set-pieces and scrummages. We protected our scrums well thanks to my forward coach (Leonard Njuguna) and backs coach (Bernard Rotich)," said Williams, adding that they hope to go for clean victory points against Mwamba in their next match, having gotten two bonus points from their two matches. They had lost to Nakuru 13-8 last Saturday.

Oilers coach Gibson Weru was lost for words after his team's dismal show.

"These are some of those matches where you simply can't tell what happened. Somethings just failed to come into place," said Weru, whose team had beaten Kenya Harlequin 39-13 in the opening day of the season.