Kenya 7s saw their spirited run in the opener of the Valladolid 7s end in painful regret as Australia snatched the 15-10 winner in extra time on Friday afternoon at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Spain.
Australia broke the deadlock just two minutes into the game with a try on the right wing, as Henry Hutchison gave them the first five points, though they missed the conversion.
Two minutes later, Kenya leveled things up through a classy try by Patrick Odongo, who managed to surge through and chase down Kevin Wekesa’s kick.
Odongo then beat James Turner with his pace, kicked the ball forward, and dashed over to give Shujaa five points, after Nygel Amaitsa missed the tricky conversion.
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Right before halftime, Shujaa slipped again on the right flank, where the Aussies showed solid dominance to reclaim their lead through Dietrich Roache, making it 10–5 at the break.
In the second half, it was Shujaa who struck back to draw level after earning a penalty scrum on the left wing.
Co-captain and scrum-half Samwel Asati grabbed the ball from the base and sliced through the Australian defense to tie the game, though Dennis Abukuse missed the conversion.
Kenya came close to sealing the win after Abukuse thought he had given them a five-point lead, only to be bundled into touch in the right corner, as Australia’s Wallace Charlie denied them that quick advantage.
The match drifted into extra time, where Kenya mishandled a lineout, allowing Australia to execute their attack on the right wing. Roache outpaced Victor Mola on the edge to deliver the match-winning try for his side.
Now with a point in hand from that performance, Shujaa will be looking to iron out their mistakes in their second match of the day when they take on South Africa from 6:08 PM EAT.
Kenya 7s Valladolid 7s fixtures, play times, and schedule
Friday May 29
Shujaa 10-15 Australia
Shujaa vs South Africa – 6:08pm
Saturday May 30
Shujaa vs Great Britain – 2:02pm