'Kenya Cup is a marathon, not a sprint' - Harlequin coach Paul Murunga unmoved despite costly loss to Nondies

'Kenya Cup is a marathon, not a sprint' - Harlequin coach Paul Murunga unmoved despite costly loss to Nondies

Evans Ousuru 07:15 - 21.01.2025

Harlequin coach Paul Murunga remains determined to win the Kenya Cup title and loss against Nondies doesn't dampen expectations.

Kenya Harlequin head coach Paul Murunga maintains that his charges are still in the race for the Kenya Cup title despite losing 26-24 in the Ngong Road derby over the weekend.

Harlequin's first loss, which left them fifth on the log with 21 points following a losing bonus at Nondies, provided Murunga with valuable lessons from the clash.

“We didn’t utilise our chances as effectively as we could have. However, I think we can still take positives, especially from our second-half performance where we fought our way back into the game," Murunga said.

Murunga was bullish regarding their title chances, likening it to a marathon: "This is the Kenya Cup - it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Losing to Nondies doesn’t mean we’re out of the race.”

This was a third consecutive defeat for Quins in this derby since promotion of Nondies back to Kenya Cup. Harlequin's unbeaten streak ended in a dramatic fashion but the nail-biting clash underscored the competitiveness of the Kenya Cup.

Kabras RFC have climbed back to the top of the standings with 25 points after five consecutive wins. The Champions beat Mwamba 73-0 to move to a point differential of 312, dislodging KCB Rugby from the top spot.

KCB are also on 25 points but the bankers have a point differential of 280. Menengai Oilers are also unbeaten with 25 points after ripping big against Blak Blad as Nondies moved to fourth following their win against Harlequin.