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The Nairobian

Paris 2024: Heartbreak for Shujaa as Australia condemn Kenya to second Olympics defeat

Rugby

By Washington Onyango | Jul 24, 2024

Shujaa will have to dig deep on Thursday to restore their chances of progressing to the quarterfinals of the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympic Games after losing their second Group B match against Australia 21-7 on Wednesday.

Kenya got off to a poor start after losing 31-12 to Argentina in their opening match and they will now have to defeat Samoa in their final preliminary match to stand a chance of making the last eight as a best loser.

In their second match, James Turner gave Australia the perfect start after dotting a center post try that Roache Dietrich converted for a 7-0 lead.

However, Shujaa responded quickly when Anthony Omondi’s quick thinking from a penalty saw him return the favor with a center post try.

Australia would have the last laugh after Nathan Lawson completed a beautiful build up play to score another center post try for a 14-7 half time lead after Roache added the extras.

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In the final half, Kenya retained possession for majority of the play but could not break the Australian defense.

Against the run off play, Australia killed off the Shujaa spirit when Toole Corey came off the bench to seal the win with a try that Roache converted for a 21-7 win.

Australia thus qualified for the quarterfinals with a game to spare.

Kenya must now beat Samoa on Thursday at 3pm to stand a chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

The tournament format divides teams into three groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, advance to the quarterfinals.

Winners of the quarterfinals move on to the semifinals, while the losers will compete in a match for third place.

Teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will play in a mini-tournament for 5th to 8th places. The worst third-placed team and the last three teams in the group face off in the 9th to 12th place matches.

Kenya is in Group B, alongside Australia, Samoa, and Argentina. Australia kicked off their campaign with a 21-14 win over Samoa.

Other groups include Fiji, France, USA, and Uruguay in Group C, while Group A comprises New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and Japan.