Impala Saracens secured their third victory of the 2021 season with a 30-24 victory over Strathmore Leos at the Impala Grounds in the midweek clash played on Wednesday 11th August. They kicked off with an early 7-0 Impala lead as Edmund Anya went over the whitewash to score a center post-converted try.
Eight minutes later, the Leos leveled the scores as they landed a corner post try, Kenya U20 International Andrew Matoka slicing the uprights for 7-7. The Sarries’ defensive skills at the breakdown were evident as their counter ruck efforts saw them add an additional seven points when the ball was sent wide to find a fast Anya who raced down 40M to land his brace. The conversion drifted wide for a 12-7 score. Leos leveled the scores with an unconverted try-off a scrum from Impala’s 5M mark. The Leos were then reduced to 14 men for an infringement, Sarries opting for the three points that saw them take the 15-12 lead at the breather.
Second half kicked off with a second penalty kick by the Sarries extending their lead to 18-12 before the Leos made their way to their opponent’s try line, going over for their third try and a successful conversion. At this point Leos had leap-frogged to a one-point lead, the scoreboard reading 18-19.
Strathmore’s attempt at kicking for territory was charged down and Impala’s flyhalf Johnson Waiganjo grounded the ball and converted giving his team a six-point lead. Impala’s backline and ball in hand skills came into play and the result was Israel Soi going over the whitewash for their bonus point try, the conversion drifted wide. The scoreboard read 30-19 to Sarries. With the hunger for two bonus points, the Leos gradually made their way to Impala’s territory with several ball carries and phases that resulted in them bulldozing their way for their fourth try. The conversion however was unsuccessful, Impala securing their 30-24 victory over Strathmore Leos, the latter however secured two bonus points by virtue of scoring four tries and losing by less than seven points while the Sarries bag their five points from this encounter.
Photo: Denis Ekanusu