Nondies are currently third in the regular Kenya Cup season league table after winning each of their first five games of the season.
Nondescripts head coach Calum Oliver has dismissed the notion that his side has become the “best of the rest” in the Kenya Cup, despite their impressive start to the 2024 season.
The Ngong Road club, popularly known as Nondies, secured a narrow 26-24 victory over Harlequins in the fiercely contested Ngong Road Derby at the Ngong Race Course last Saturday.
The win ensured Nondies maintained their unbeaten record this season, leaving them third in the standings behind perennial heavyweights Kabras Sugar and KCB.
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Both Kabras and KCB have also won all their opening five matches, underscoring their dominance in Kenyan rugby. Yet, Oliver is cautious not to place his charges in the same conversation just yet, instead choosing to focus on their match-by-match progress.
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‘Relief’ after Ngong Road Derby win
Reflecting on their hard-fought win over Paul Murunga’s Harlequins, Oliver expressed both pride and relief at the outcome.
“We prepared pretty well in the week. I was quite confident that we’d done some good stuff in training,” he told the media post-match. “Look, I think probably the overriding emotion at the moment is relief. You know, one kick and the game’s a draw. A couple of other decisions go in, and it’s a Queens game.”
Despite the close margin, Oliver praised his players’ resilience. “We’re proud to get the win. We’re proud of the fight. There’s still a lot of work to do. We’re still not playing the way we probably want to, but the reality is it’s about winning.”
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Turning Ngong Race Course into a fortress
Oliver highlighted the growing significance of Ngong Race Course as a stronghold for Nondies, explaining how the unique conditions at the venue have posed challenges for visiting teams.
“Yeah, I think probably coming here is actually slightly underestimated to play. It’s actually a hard place to play. The wind there plays quite a big factor,” he explained.
“But, you know, Quinns are a really good side and they’ll progress throughout the season and get better. You never know, we might meet them down the line somewhere, and then it’s another event.”
Oliver emphasised the importance of focusing on one game at a time, acknowledging the unpredictability of the season. “You have to take every game as it comes at the end of the day. So look, we’re happy, we’re happy.”
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‘Not the best of the rest’
When asked whether Nondies, who remarkably reached the Kenya Cup semi-finals last season after earning promotion in 2023, could now be considered the best team outside of Kabras Sugar and KCB, Oliver was quick to set the record straight.
“Look, obviously there’s two [dominant teams]… I would include Oilers. I think Oilers are a really, really good side, really, really well coached,” he remarked. “So, look, we don’t really see ourselves as the best of the rest. The aim is just to try and get to the playoffs.”
He added: “We’ve also got Kabras, KCB, and Oilers all to come. So the season is nowhere near finished. We just take it one game at a time. That’s the mindset of the players, that’s the mindset of the coaching team, and we’ll see what happens.”