Chipu’s Olago eyes Barthes Cup improvement ahead of Zimbabwe duel
By Joel Sang, July 28, 2023Chipu head coach Curtis Olago wants Kenya U20 to improve on their previous Barthes Cup performance when they face Zimbabwe on Sunday, July 30 for the fifth-place final match at Nyayo Stadium.
After their April battle, Kenya U20 and Junior Sables will meet again in the World Rugby U20 Trophy 5th-place playoff duel.
Going into Sunday’s duel, Kenya expect to be buoyed by their recent and only win in the ongoing tournament; they beat Hong Kong China, 22-16. The victory saw Olago’s charges register a rare win as they had gone down to Samoa, 35-24, and Spain, 48-18.
Ahead of the game against Zimbabwe, the Barthes Cup defending champions, the KCB coach wants to see an improvement from how they performed during the previous game.
Olago’s analysis
“We are working on our structures. We all know how the game [Barthes Cup] ended. Our expectations as a team are to see an improvement from the Barthes Cup in terms of structure, skills, defense, and attack. It is not about results, it is about growth,” Olago said.
While analsying their past performances, the KCB coach pointed out what the U20’s mistakes have been.
“Both defensive and attacking structures were meticulously honed, leading to commendable performances throughout the tournament. However, a recurring issue of crumbling in the second half and conceding late tries really haunted us in past encounters.
“We took charge early in all our games, scoring first in all the matches. Our vulnerability against physically and skillfully adept opponents made sustaining early leads a challenging feat,” Kenya Simba’s assistant coach added.
On his part, Chipu’s captain, Michael Wamalwa, chose to look forward with hope despite not performing according to expectations in the last two games.
“Each match provided invaluable exposure as the team grew and learned to meet the demands of this elite level of rugby.
“Our newfound defensive sharpness has fortified our resolve to confront Zimbabwe, as we seek redemption from our previous encounter in the Barthes Cup final, where our poor defense proved costly,” Wamalwa said.