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Pic : The action : Mean Machine versus Blak Blad. Source Motto William.
The campus derby between Blak Blad and Mean Machine is one fixture that sparks the imagination in university students. It is a match that is 30 years old and ranked as one of the fiercest derbies in local rugby. The passion, the excitement and the drama. Their fans always rise to the occasion. Victory was a requirement for both sides.
Kenyatta University’s Blak Blad welcomed UON’s Mean Machine at Kenyatta University grounds on Saturday 31st October 2015 for a friendly match.
Mean machine may have the worst record compared to all elite rugby clubs in Kenya as they have lost all of their eight matches in a row in all competitions but they needed less than 10 minutes to crack Blad’s defense and take the lead although the conversion went begging.
This was the ideal start for Blak Blad’s rivals Mean Machine and Netto Ongaki showed that Blad were not going to lie down as his individual brilliance, led to Blak Blad’s equalizer.
Blak Blad’s threat, then translated into action as their eighth man Kidinga Wesley extended the hosts the lead to 14-5 when he burst past Machine’s defense and touched down below the posts.
Machine put their feet forward as they always do. They don’t go down without putting up a good fight. This resulted in Blad making a tactical substitution which saw their experienced second row; William Motto introduced 20 minutes into the game replacing Steve Biko.
The tactical change proved vital as Motto and Brian Njenga were at the center of things when Blak Blad’s Flanker, Franz Obudo went over the white wash moments later.
Keith “Scarface” Mugambi was outstanding throughout the match. Scarface made remarkable breaks and amazing side steps although he never made it to the try box.
The third try inspired the hosts to press for a forth and they got it through a familiar source. Full back Moses “Viriviri” Begi who turned 22 years in the course of last week, slipped past his marker and sealed Blad’s victory with a diving try.The match ended 28-20.
Notable exclusions:
Mean Machine lacked the services of Alex Njue and so did Blad’s flanker, Steven Odhiambo through personal commitments.
In a post match interview with Shujaa Pride’s correspondent, Blak Blad’s chairman Mr. Steven Odhiambo said, “It is a very good feeling. We have been working hard in our training sessions as we always want to win.”
The other match of the day saw hosts; Kabras demolish their brothers from Nakuru 25-11 in a friendly match played in Kakamega on Saturday.