Kabras Coach Marlin Mukolwe upbeat despite National Sevens Circuit shaky start

Kabras RFC head coach Marlin Mukolwe remains confident that his side will bounce back in the remaining legs of the National Sevens Circuit, despite a disappointing start to the season that has seen them fall short of expectations.

The sugar millers, who currently sit fifth on the log with 26 points, have yet to reach a Cup final in the opening two rounds — Driftwood 7s and Prinsloo 7s — where they struggled to assert dominance.

At the Driftwood 7s, Kabras were knocked out by KCB in the Cup semi-finals before settling for third place after defeating Nakuru RFC 21-10. Their performance in the Prinsloo 7s — the second leg of the circuit — raised further concerns, with the side losing 17-15 to invitational team Mwamba in the group stage. That result forced them to wait until the final group match against MMUST to secure progression as the first runner-up in Group D.

Their campaign was cut short in the Cup quarter-finals following a 17-5 defeat to KCB. They later succumbed to Nakuru 12-10 in the 5th-place semi-final.

Kabras now trail joint leaders KCB and Strathmore Leos by 14 points, with both sides tied at 40 points. Nakuru and Menengai Oilers follow closely with 28 points each.

Despite the underwhelming results, Coach Mukolwe maintained a positive outlook in an interview with Citizen Digital, attributing the team’s struggles to the absence of key experienced players.

“We did not have our experienced players, so we had to work with the junior players — which was a plus for us,” said Mukolwe.

“For the longevity of the Sevens, we need depth, and the introduction of juniors will expose them early and allow them to gain experience.”

Mukolwe admitted that the team has fallen short of its initial targets but praised the younger players for stepping up.

“So far, we have fallen short of the goals we had set because the experience aspect played a big role. But on the positive side, we’ve seen what the young stars can do. Going forward, we’ll blend them with the senior players,” he added.

Kabras now turn their attention to the Christie 7s, where they are the defending champions. Mukolwe believes the two-week break provides a perfect opportunity to regroup and return stronger.

“We intend to come back strong and defend the Christie 7s title. We will have the backing of experienced players who are familiar with the big stage,” he noted.

“We have learned from our mistakes, and it’s good that the lessons came early. Christie 7s will be crucial for us to gain maximum points if we really want to stand a chance in the overall circuit.”

Reflecting on the shock group-stage loss to Mwamba, Mukolwe admitted the defeat was difficult to take.

“We started the game well, led early, and losing it was a shocker. The two weeks we have to train will be enough for us to bounce back,” he concluded.

Kabras will be aiming to use the Christie 7s as a launch pad to revive their title hopes. The team last won the overall National Sevens Circuit in 2017 — their only national 7s title to date.