Assistant (forwards) coach Carlos Katywa has described Kenya’s performance during the 2023 Victoria Cup as the lowest and worst the Simbas can ever be.
“Today’s game was a summary of the worst we can ever be. This is the lowest, and the pinnacle lowest, we can ever be. If we can get below this, then we’ve got problems,” he said.
Katywa spoke to Kawowo Sports after losing the title decider to Uganda by just the barest of margins at Kings Park on Sunday evening.
“I can’t take away anything from the Ugandan side. They came to play and they were hungry. There was no fight in us, there was no hunger in us. Even, if you go back to the Zambia game, it was similar, we were just lucky. Again, we need to go and sit down and regroup as a group. (To) really look at what we really want to achieve.
“In summary, very unfamiliar end of the deal where we are sitting; on the losing side. We created a winning culture but I think today, we just didn’t pitch up. I think the boys didn’t execute the plan. And there was a plan and there were even tools given to them on how to execute the plan. But I think you can see even the demeanour, the body language of the boys during the game, it was wanting.”
read zambia match report
Victoria Cup 2023: Kenya far from convincing but job done against Zambia
Kenya beat Zambia 36-12 in the 2023 Victoria Cup, but the scoreline does not reflect the intensity of the match.
Kenya suffered from identical errors of their own accord against both Zambia and Uganda. But only the latter was able to take advantage of those errors and make them count. Kenya’s Achilles heel this week was at the breakdown; a fundamental facet of the game of rugby. Also, the set pieces barely worked during the entire match.
“Breakdown, it was shambles and that’s one of the things we worked on this whole week. Again it became an issue coming to this game. So, if you look at how many turnovers and penalties against us, it is a discipline issue.
“Look that’s why I’m saying. There were tools. Setpieces is our number one thing. Scrums we didn’t even push in our ball (or) their ball. We just got it all wrong. Lineouts, (we are) one of the best driving teams in Africa. We didn’t get going.”
Katywa took full responsibility for his charges’ performance on behalf of the technical bench in the absence of head coach Jerome Paarwater. Paarwater is expected to join the team in Kisumu ahead of the Elgon Cup return leg on Saturday.
“At this level, it shouldn’t be something that we should be discussing for two games in a row and this is our national team. So it’s really appalling but again, like I said, it’s a coaching issue so I have to take full responsibility for those things. So now we have to go back to the drawing board.”
Katywa was relieved that the score did not get out of hand despite the extremely poor performance. Something he credited, in part, to fullback Jone Kubu.
“He (Kubu) is a special player and, to be honest, we were lucky to have him on the field and he stayed for a full eighty (minutes). The scoreboard would have looked very bad if he wasn’t there for us. But also, he had a few flaws in himself. I mean, kicking the ball is just a simple thing. He practices every day. So those are the little things we are talking about when we say fundamentals. If you are given a job, execute that job.”
Kubu missed two conversions and a penalty – all worth seven points – as Kenya lost by just one point.
He was more sympathetic to the rookies who made their debuts in Kampala during the Victoria Cup. For example, winger Joel Inzuga who bagged the top try scorer’s award.
“To be honest, a test match is a test match. And now, the two games have shown that it is difficult to go into a game with thirteen debutants at a test match level. It just shows that if these types of things happen, these are the kind of results that will come.”
He expressed enthusiasm however that there was no better platform to give the rising talents in Kenya opportunities at international test rugby.
“With Victoria Cup coming back, it’s something that we are very happy and positive about. Because now, we can give these youngsters more opportunities to play and be exposed to flagship games. So we are building. It’s a building block and hopefully, we can build quicker. But the foundation has been laid. So it’s a matter of; now, how do we work our way up?”
Kenya Simbas will return home to camp in Kisumu early this week to prepare for the Elgon Cup return leg. The match will be played on Saturday, November 11, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Mamboleo in Kisumu, Western Kenya.
