Kenya rugby 15s women’s team coach Felix Oloo has made seven changes to his team ahead of the Elgon Cup return leg at Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala, Uganda on Saturday.
The Lionesses beat the Lady Cranes 44-13 in the first leg at Kisumu’s Mambo Leo grounds on June 22, giving them a huge advantage but Oloo is not resting on his laurels.
Experienced Homeboyz forward Millicent Opala returns to the fold after a four-year hiatus and she is the standout name among the seven changes that include five debutants.
Opala last featured for the Lionesses in 2015 when they downed Uganda 7-6 to retain the Elgon Cup while Winfred Maina, Winnie Owino, Anne Njeri, Victoria Gichure and Impala line breaker Diana Awino are the new inclusions. Emmaculate Owiro will also move from the bench to the starting line-up.
Commenting on the 23 players he has selected, Oloo is confident they will record victory as he plans to use the match as part of their preparations for the 2021 women’s Rugby World Cup continental qualifiers slated for August in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“We are very confident that this squad will do the job this weekend. The changes are designed to build team cohesion and allow them to gel.
We want to see how the different options we have perform as well as how they absorb pressure as we build a formidable squad for the World Cup qualifiers,” said Oloo.
He added: “This is by no means the final squad for the qualifiers but it gives us a chance to see more players before we settle on the final 26.’’
