Simbas’ early roar silenced by ruthless Junior Boks in SA friendly

The Kenya Simbas put up a spirited first-half performance but could not hold on as they fell 24-42 to the Junior Springboks in their second pre-season friendly fixture of the South African tour on Monday afternoon in Stellenbosch, Cape Town.

Fresh off a 17-17 draw with SWD Eagles in their opening fixture, the Simbas roared into this clash with energy and precision against the South African U20 side.

Captain George Nyambua and Walter Okoth lit up the first half with quick back-to-back tries, with Omela converting one for a 12-7 lead. A penalty try and a second from Nyambua stretched Kenya’s advantage to 24-7 at halftime.

But the tides shifted dramatically in the second half. The Junior Boks came out firing, scoring two converted tries to close the gap to 24-21.

From there, they dominated possession and territory, scoring unanswered points to flip the scoreline and seal a 42-24 win.

While the Simbas were unable to replicate their first-half magic, the high-level contest offered valuable insight as they continue fine-tuning for the Rugby Africa Cup, which doubles as the 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.

Coach Jerome Paarwater will be keen to address second-half lapses and sharpen game management ahead of tougher continental assignments.  

The squad is gearing up for the continental tournament set for July 8–20 in Uganda, featuring nine top African nations.