Sorry Shujaa bow out of Main Cup contention after Ireland loss

Kenya Sevens suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Hong Kong 7s, going down 26-14 to Ireland in a Pool D match staged at Hong Kong Sevens Stadium on Saturday morning.

Ireland started the match on the front foot after taking the lead inside the opening minutes when their playmaker Harry McNulty beating the Kenyan defense to score a converted try for a 7-0 lead.

Alvin Otieno then went on a storming run from the 22-meter line and tied the scores at 7-7 after a conversion from Antony Omondi.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Andrew Smith fended off Edmund Anya to score, as Mark Roche converted from a tight angle for Ireland which saw them lead 14-7 at halftime.

On resumption, Johnstone Olindi went on a solid run and offloaded the ball to Billy Odhiambo, who touched down to draw Shujaa level.

Ireland again started winning territory and possession, and star Mark Roche restored their advantage, scoring a try and converted it for a 21-14 lead.

Ireland dealt heartbreak to Kenyan fans seconds later after capitalizing on a poor restart, and Mark Roche again fended off his two markers to score the try.

On Friday, Shujaa lost their opening match of the Hong Kong Sevens to New Zealand, going down 29-5 at the Hong Kong Stadium.

Shujaa will now face South Africa at 10:25 am in their final pool match before shifting their focus to placement matches on Sunday.