After a rigorous season that has served up quality rugby action, curtains come down on the Kenya Cup regular season this weekend when teams make a final push for playoff slots.

Great focus is however on the wrong end of the standings where Catholic Monks, Mean Machine and Masinde Muliro are all faced with the harsh reality of relegation.

Monks, who earned top-flight promotion this season after a six-year hiatus, will fight to avoid a swift return to the lower league when they host Nakuru RFC at the Catholic University.

Head coach John Isalambo says they will leave everything on the pitch as they strive to retain their Kenya cup status.

“The boys are positive of course, especially when they are playing at home; they are positive enough to give a good result. We’ve been affected by some big injuries to some of our key players and we’ve been forced to make a few changes especially at fly half but I’m hopeful the boys will bring it back because we’ve gotten so many lessons having played all the ten matches. This being a do or die we just need a bonus point or a win and I believe the boys are ready for the task.”

Isalambo added it has been an interesting season back to the top flight with numerous lessons picked along the way and he hopes to keep on improving the team in spite of what happens over the weekend.

“It’s been interesting; some positive results from the boys as well. There are games the boys got results that none of us expected so it’s been an interesting and a food season for us. All we can do is keep competing and always hoping to get better regardless of the results that come about this weekend.”

MMUST, Catholic Monks and Mean Machine, all University teams are languishing at the bottom of the table in a season that has witnessed huge awakening of community teams that struggled to make an impact last term.

Three-time Kenya Cup winners Mean Machine will hope to put in a performance of a lifetime as they play second placed KCB RFC at home at the University of Nairobi grounds here in the capital.

Machine will be made to sweat to the last drop to down heavyweights KCB who their only blemish this season in their last weekend's loss to defending champions Kabras Sugar

Elsewhere all the rugby enthusiasts in the country will have their eyes fixed in the forest as sugar men Kabras RFC take on Menengai Oilers in the Rai Derby as both teams are sponsored by the sport-enthusiastic Rai Family.

Homeboyz will at Jamhuri Park to play Blak Blad as the temple of rugby RFUEA grounds here in Nairobi host another cracker of a game with in-form Kenya Harlequins taking on Strathmore Leos.

Leos who have a game in hand after the rescinding of the walkover against Blak Blad, will hope to get the win plus bonus points as they hope to make the cut for the play offs.

However it won’t be a walk in the park as Quins are buoyed by their recent form that has seen them rack up seven consecutive league wins.