Three penalties by Darwin Mukidza were enough to help clinch KCB a record 10th Floodies title at spirited Nondies' expense.
KCB RFC have clinched a record 10th Impala Floodlit title with a 25-23 win over Nondies for the second tournament in a row at a packed Impala Club filled with ecstatic fans that were also waiting for the 2023 Rugby World Cup final watch party on Saturday night.
The Bankers opened the scoring just four minutes into the match when Peter Kilonzo touched down the ball to give them the lead, which was successfully converted by Darwin Mukidza.
This did not dishearten Nondies, who tried to force errors from KCB from the off, forcing them into making infringements.
Brian Munyali was sent to the sin bin after he saw yellow, leaving the game in a state of damp squib. In the 30th minute, Nondies themselves would get the first of two penalties well converted by Sheunda Calvin, with the second coming in the 35th minute.
Heading into the break, the game would be closely poised, with KCB leading very narrowly 7-6.
Both teams started the second half struggling to create any real inroads in each others' final 22-yard box, and they each gave penalties away which were all well converted, leaving the game edgy.
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Both sides were very determined not to give clear-cut try-scoring opportunities away, but after a moment of sustained pressure by KCB, Nondies gave away another penalty, giving Mukidza another chance to convert a penalty to give them a 13-9 lead.
Nondies just could not find a way to correct their indiscipline, and they gave away yet another penalty that was converted by Mukidza to make it 16-9
Nondies however, refused to be beaten easily. A carry by Salem Benson on the right allowed them to win a scrum right on the edge of the KCB tryline before the ball was quickly flung across to the other flank.
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KCB did well to defend that side of their trybox, but the ball was flung back to the other flank before Nyaenya Moseti successfully scored a converted try to restore parity and make it 16 points apiece for both teams.
The game now needed a moment of sheer magic and brilliance. Despite both sides trying to plug away, the game could not be decided in regular time, and it had to get to extra time to decide the fate.
An infringement by Nondies allowed Mukidza to net yet another penalty to give them a 19-16 lead, and now they needed to maintain that lead by piling pressure on an impressively resistant Nondies.
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Another penalty by Mukidza allowed KCB to reach the 20 point mark, making it 22-16 just before the start of the second half of extra time.
Nondies just could not find a way to stop the alarming rate at which they were giving penalties away, and it was soon 25-16 for the defending champions, which now gave them a considerable nine point lead.
Nondie refused to get beaten, and their spirited fight won them a successfully converted try by Nyaenya Moseti, and suddenly, a nine-point deficit was reduced to two and that is how the final was settled.
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