Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) rugby team continued their impressive form in the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship, securing a hard-fought victory over Daystar Falcons in a thrilling encounter at the MMUST Grounds in Kakamega today. This win marked their seventh consecutive victory, further solidifying their position in the competition.
The match began with Daystar Falcons asserting early dominance in MMUST’s territory, creating several scoring opportunities. However, their efforts fell short when Eddy Wambigu missed a penalty attempt in the seventh minute, failing to get the Falcons on the scoreboard early. Despite this, it was MMUST who drew first blood, with Veron Kaburu making a well-taken drop-goal in the second quarter to give the hosts a 3-0 lead.
MMUST had a chance to extend their advantage shortly after, but Kaburu missed another penalty, this time from a 10-meter distance after an infringement by the Falcons. The missed opportunity kept the scoreline narrow, and it was Daystar’s Emmanuel Marakho who made the breakthrough, slicing through MMUST’s defense with a powerful run on the right edge. Marakho dived over the try line to score, but the conversion attempt went wide, leaving the score at 5-3 in favor of the visitors.
The home team quickly responded, with Byron Ogada scoring a try just a minute later to give MMUST an 8-5 lead going into halftime. The fast-paced, competitive nature of the match was evident, as both teams showed their attacking and defensive prowess.
In the second half, Daystar came out strongly, and after a referee’s offside call, Wambingu converted a penalty to give the Falcons a 10-8 lead. However, the home side regained the upper hand when Churchill Oyagi scored a try, and Ogada converted to make the score 15-8.
As the match progressed, Daystar Falcons increased the pressure, scoring a try late in the third quarter to close the gap to 15-13. But MMUST held their ground and extended their lead with a penalty from Washington, making it 18-13 at full-time.
The disciplined performance from both teams showcased the competitive nature of the KRU Championship, with MMUST RFC aiming to continue their strong run in the league. Daystar Falcons, despite the loss, earned a losing bonus point and will look to make the necessary adjustments for their upcoming fixtures.
