No respite for Shujaa at Hong Kong 7s after New Zealand defeat

The national rugby sevens side, Shujaa, suffered a 28-12 defeat to New Zealand in their second Pool C match at the Hong Kong leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series on Friday, with defensive frailties once again proving costly.

The opening half exposed Shujaa’s vulnerability at the back, as New Zealand struck early with ruthless precision.

Roderick Solo crossed over in just the second minute before Sam Clarke followed up two minutes later, both tries successfully converted to hand the Kiwis a commanding 14-0 lead within the first four minutes.

Shujaa, however, showed late resistance before the break. With just 29 seconds left in the first half, captain Samuel Asati sparked life into the Kenyan side with a quick restart following a foul.

His awareness set up Kevin Wekesa, who powered through the New Zealand defence down the right flank to score, cutting the deficit to 14-5 at halftime.

The second half began much like the first, with Kenya’s defensive lapses resurfacing. New Zealand extended their lead through Brady Rush, who capitalized on a well-worked 20-metre tip-on pass to touch down and stretch the score to 21-5.

Despite the setback, Shujaa attempted a comeback. Asati was again at the heart of the move, collecting an offload from Vincent Onyala before linking up with Nigel Amaitsa, who finished off the move for Kenya’s second converted try to bring the score to 21-12.

However, any hopes of a turnaround were short-lived. Persistent pressure from New Zealand forced errors, allowing Kele Lasaqa to seal the win with a fourth try after a clean break.

The result leaves Shujaa rooted at the bottom of Pool C. They now turn their focus to a clash against the USA on Saturday at 8:24am East African Time, where they will aim to salvage pride and secure a place in the playoff matches.