Kenya 7s beat Uruguay 7s 26-7 in the 11th-place playoff at HSBC SVNS Bordeaux 2026, securing their first win of the weekend with four second-half tries.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Kenya struck first through Kevin Onyala, who finished a slick lineout move in the opening minutes. The ball was whipped wide off the set-piece, with a decoy runner drawing the Uruguayan defence before Safari offloaded perfectly to Onyala on his shoulder. The conversion made it 7-0.
Uruguay responded just before half-time. Captain Diego Rodriguez orchestrated the attack, moving the ball through phases before full-back Felipe Landauer touched down under pressure near the posts. The conversion levelled the scores at 7-7 at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to Kenya. John Okoth Okello powered over after a sustained period of Kenyan pressure in the 5-metre channel, regathering a loose ball and stretching for the line. David Nagigi added a third try, capitalising on a brilliantly executed kickoff reception where Kenya slapped the restart back, moved the ball through three pairs of hands, and sent Nagigi over in the corner. Both tries were converted, stretching the lead to 21-7.
Brian Tanga sealed the result with a fourth Kenyan try, showing excellent support-line running to finish a flowing move in the final minute. The conversion was missed, leaving the final score at 26-7.
The turning point
Kenya's try just after half-time — John Okoth Okello's finish in the 5-metre channel — broke Uruguay's resistance. Until that point, the match was finely balanced at 7-7. Kenya had struggled to break down Uruguay's organised tackling in the first half, with Los Teros known for their defensive commitment. Okoth Okello's score, following a blown-tire slip by the Kenyan attack that was swiftly recovered, shifted momentum decisively. From there, Kenya's offloading game and athletic superiority overwhelmed a tiring Uruguayan defence.
Key performers
Kevin Onyala opened the scoring with a well-taken try and was a constant threat with ball in hand, his pace and footwork causing problems on the edges.
John Okoth Okello delivered the crucial second-half try that broke the deadlock, using his power to muscle over in heavy traffic.
David Nagigi added the third try and was instrumental in Kenya's aerial work at restarts — a decisive factor in the second half.
Brian Tanga rounded off the scoring with a well-timed support run, his first try of the season in a crucial moment.
Felipe Landauer was Uruguay's standout, scoring their only try and showing composure under pressure.
By the numbers
Kenya scored four tries to Uruguay's one, reflecting their second-half dominance. The pattern shifted markedly after the break: Uruguay competed strongly in the first 7 minutes, responding immediately to going behind, but Kenya's superior conditioning and offloading game told as the match wore on. Kenya's work at the restart — repeatedly regaining possession from their own kickoffs — starved Uruguay of attacking opportunities in the second period.
What it means
Even with this victory, Kenya's maximum achievable points in the HSBC SVNS World Championship standings stood at 16. Their fate rested on the USA-Fiji fifth-place playoff later that same day: if USA beat Fiji to finish fifth, they would reach 17 points and leapfrog Kenya into eighth place — the crucial qualifying spot for next season's HSBC SVNS Series.
Uruguay, already confirmed for HSBC SVNS 2 in 2027, finished the weekend without a win in Bordeaux.
Verdict
Kenya produced their most complete performance of the weekend when it mattered most, answering questions about their composure after Uruguay's first-half equaliser. But one emphatic win could not undo the damage of earlier defeats — and whether it proved enough to keep them in the world's top eight depended on events they could no longer control.
Rivalry since 2013
Kenya 7s vs Uruguay 7s Head to Head Results· 10
Kenya 7s and Uruguay 7s have met 10 times — Kenya 7s won 3, Uruguay 7s won 7, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2013. Uruguay 7s leads the head-to-head with 7 victories from 10 meetings. A combined 296 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 29.60 per match (134 for the home side, 162 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 10 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 10 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 33–17 in 2023.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jun 2026