Why Kabras Sugar coach Carlos Katywa is ‘bothered’ and ‘concerned’ by charges despite win over Kenya Harlequin in Nairobi.
Kabras Sugar head coach Carlos Katywa has voiced his concerns despite his side securing a commanding 43-22 victory over Kenya Harlequin in a Kenya Cup clash at the RFUEA Grounds last Saturday.
The reigning champions maintained their perfect run this season, making it eight wins in eight matches. However, their triumph was marred by a series of infringements that saw them concede 15 points from penalties.
Additionally, they surrendered their first try of 2025 when Quins’ Leon Nyang sliced through their defence for a consolation try.
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Kabras Sugar’s latest win solidifies their place at the top of the standings with 40 points, while Kenya Harlequin sit in fifth place with 22 points after enduring four consecutive losses.
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While the Kakamega-based outfit remains on course for a fourth successive regular season without defeat, Katywa admitted that he was troubled by certain aspects of his team’s performance.
Speaking after the match, Katywa expressed mixed feelings about his team’s display.
“I have mixed emotions about this game in particular. We started like a house on fire. I’m starting to wonder whether our training regime might be the cause of complacency because I think we work on the areas of concern and then forget what we’ve done well in the previous game,” he said.
One of the key areas of concern was Kabras’ set pieces, particularly at the breakdown.
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“Our line-out maul was a tool that we used very well. But I think again, the breakdown that I spoke about last week, this week I think we conceded two again from the side and flying in, meaning that the guys off the ball are not working hard, so they’re late and trying to compensate for that.”
Despite the comfortable victory, Katywa was particularly frustrated by his side’s inefficiency in converting territorial dominance into points.
“I was very, very disappointed in our conversion rate. We spent close to about 10 minutes in our opposition’s 22, and we normally don’t come out with points.
” But I guess also it’s the fact that when we play round-robin games, we don’t go for points,” he noted.
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Instead, Katywa revealed that the team is prioritising fine-tuning their playing structures rather than solely focusing on scoreboard pressure.
Katywa also lamented instances of individualistic play that disrupted the team’s overall strategy.
“We tried to play a more power game and it worked. But then our guys just decided to become try-line fever, selfish, and it’s something that is bothering me,” he remarked.
He further highlighted poor decision-making from his back three, particularly in handling exits.
“Guys are overconfident sometimes where we should just be exiting, putting pressure, and then starting all over. Instead, we start running the ball inside our own 22, make a mistake, and get punished for it.”
Despite his frustrations, Katywa acknowledged the positives, including some brilliant tries scored by his side.
“I have mixed emotions because we scored some brilliant tries. Having said that, I think I’ll take the win. I’ll take the four points and go home and evaluate before starting all over again.”
Kabras Sugar will look to extend their dominance when they host Nondescripts in their ninth game of the season next Saturday. However, Katywa will be keen to see his side address their lapses and play with more discipline as they march towards another title defence.
