Amonde believes their National Sevens Circuit (NSC) title win is the right moment for the bankers to turn the tide against their arch-rivals Kabras Sugar RFC in the Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup.
“Having won the Sevens Circuit title, it puts us in a place where we believe we are capable of doing the same when we go back to the 15s. We’ll keep on working hard…I know that everything comes back to hard work. Whoever is going to work very hard in training in the off season so that they come back into the season very fit…that is the team I believe is going to win in the 15s,” Amonde said.
He added: “I know there’s a lot of work to do. We stand a better chance where we are now, considering the confidence we have from the Sevens Circuit. So, we’ll just ride on the confidence we have built in the Sevens and bring it into the 15s.”
The bankers were left heartbroken in last season’s Kenya Cup, losing 19-9 to Kabras Sugar in a tightly-contested final in March this year in Kakamega.
The sugar millers extended their dominance of the 15s a month later at the Enterprise Cup when they beat the bankers 30-27 to win their third crown.
Nonetheless, Amonde’s charges edged the latest contest in what is a thrilling rivalry between the two sides when they lifted their fourth NSC crown at the final leg of the circuit at Kabeberi Sevens.
The sugar millers – leading the circuit log with 92 points heading into Kabeberi – capitulated in stunning fashion as they lost 12-5 to Menengai Oilers in the quarters to bid bye to their quest for a second NSC title.
The students, on the other hand, were stunned 7-5 by Tisap Sevens champions Nondies RFC.
KCB gleefully capitalised on this collapse by crushing Nakuru RFC 24-0 in the final to top the log with 113 points, in addition to successfully defending their Kabeberi title.
Reflecting on the dramatic events of that weekend, Amonde said his charges were mentally prepared for what was to come considering the slim margins between the three teams.
“I think the pressure was on everybody because having three teams with the chance of winning the circuit, it was not easy. Coming down from Eldoret, we finished fifth (at Tisap Sevens), it was a big challenge to mentally prepare the boys ahead of the Kabeberi Sevens. To go all the way and win the tournament was a huge plus for them because it showed how much they were mentally prepared,” he said.
Amonde added: “They were well driven to achieve what they achieved. We were able to sustain the pressure until the end…other teams we saw them falling short so it is a matter of building the mental capacity.”
The former national 7s team captain – and currently Shujaa’s fitness and conditioning coach – Amonde has been taking notes from his first season on the touchline.
“The biggest one (lesson) is to be persistent and keep pushing your limits. We kept on pushing even when we were down, just to keep ourselves up. Eventually, we came up to the top of the circuit so it is a matter of being consistent and hard working in it and the results will just come by themselves,” he explained.
Amonde will be expected to shift attention to club duties after a heroic expedition with the national team at the Rugby Africa 7s in Harare, Zimbabwe where Shujaa secured qualification for next year’s Paris Olympics after a 17-12 win over South Africa in the final on Sunday.
