Shujaa Co-Captain Asati lauds Safari Sevens heroics

National Rugby Sevens team co-captain Samuel Asati has lauded his team mates for the shift they put in to retain the Safari 7s crown beating a stubborn Shogun side 12-0 at the Kenyatta stadium in Machakos at the weekend.

Shujaa who had been in scintillating form all week reaching the final unbeaten were made to dig deep in order to retain their title after seeing their counterparts Kenya Lionesses suffer defeat for the second year in a row losing the title to Shogun Ladies.

However Asati says the team’s effort in Machakos was testament to their resilience and determination.

 “The game was really hard; they pinned us into our territory early on but we dug deep and pulled off the win. This is a good build up towards the start of the world seven series and the boys have gotten some good game time that will be vital in getting us ready for the opening leg in Dubai.”

Led by former Shujaa head coach Mike Friday, Shogun Rugby team made the final after dismantling Zimbabwe 34-14 but fell short in the final hurdle against fans favourites Shujaa.

Shogun captain Carrey Osborne was full of praise for his team despite losing in the final as he further expressed displeasure with the level of refereeing showcased in the final saying it made the task harder for his charges

 “It’s been a pleasure working with the boys and working with the boys to get to the final where there are eight different nationalities. We brought our hearts and soul into the game; we showed some real heart and desire to fight.

A lot of the calls didn’t go our way, we are really disappointed. It felt like we played against eight men and I don’t like to blame the referee but when you’re in Kenya’s home town with referees like that, it's really hard to compete.”

Shujaa will have a much-deserved rest before resuming training ahead of the commencement of the HSBC World Sevens Series in December.