MMUST register first win of the season

Masinde Muliro University Rugby registered their first win of the season in the Kenya Cup, edging out Impala Saracens 20–15 in a thrilling clash at the MMUST Grounds in Kakamega on Saturday.

Coming into the game, Impala had already tasted victory, having thrashed Daystar Falcons 50–17.  

MMUST struck first, with Flavian Otiyo calmly slotting a penalty in the 18th minute. Impala responded almost immediately.  

The hosts regained control when Caleb Owino muscled his way over from behind the maul after a strong scrum effort. Otiyo added the extras, giving MMUST a 10–7 lead at halftime.  

Just two minutes into the second half, Otiyo produced a moment of brilliance. He turned defence into attack, slicing through Impala’s backline to score a try of his own, before converting to stretch the lead to 17–7.  

Impala refused to fold, hitting back with a try from their back row. But Otiyo kept MMUST in front with another penalty. Andale’s reply from the tee narrowed the gap to 20–15, setting up a tense finish.  

The contest grew heated, with MMUST’s Fidel Simba and Impala’s Tariq Ngige both shown red cards for dangerous tackles at different stages of the game.  

Speaking to Citizen Digital, MMUST head coach John Asila praised his side’s resilience: “We really wanted it. MMUST is a very young team. We’ve lost many players to other sides, but I think they are picking up, and that’s our spirit.”  

This was the third meeting between the Varsity Boys and Impala RFC in the Kenya Cup. MMUST had drawn first blood in Nairobi, beating Impala 21–12 to claim early bragging rights. Impala roared back in the return fixture, however, delivering a commanding 44–13 victory in the final clash of the 2021/22 season.

In the Eric Shirley Shield (ESS) match played at the same venue as the opener, MMUST suffered a 20–48 defeat to Menengai Oilers.