By RONALD CHAWE –
Eagles 3 Arrows 13
LEADERS Red Arrows continued with their impressive run in the 2016 National Rugby League (NRL) when they beat Green Eagles to consolidate their stay at the top of the log after the week seven game in Kabwe.
Arrows, the defending champions, are now on 25 points.
The home side scored first through a penalty by Tedious Chipoya to go to half time leading 3-0.
The visitors came from the break breathing fire and their efforts were rewarded by scoring a drop goal through Terry Kaushiku to level matters, then scoring a penalty before converting a try that was placed by Simon Kampindu.
Eagles remained stuck on sixth position with 11 points while Arrows consolidated their stay at the top of the table with 25 points.
KPF 3 Diggers 6
Controversial referee Joseph Ingwe was not just at the centre of this match but also the epicentre of trouble that almost got him beaten again as raging KPF players blamed him for their loss.
In one of the country’s oldest and fiercest rugby derbies worsened by a large contingent of diggers players trekking back to KPF, the match passed with controversy as usual and then like it used to be with Diggers reigning supremacy over their Kitwe rivals.
Diggers moved into second place with 20 points while the hosts remained at 16 points.
After the final whistle, the loss was not simply accepted by the KPF players who wanted to beat referee Ingwe accusing him of turning to be a Diggers’ coach instead of a match referee.
The players were, however, restrained by their coach Maybin Sakala.
KPF scored a penalty through Benaya Mukwamba while the visitors scored two penalties through Brian Mbalwa and Patrick Chanda to go second.
Last week, Diggers overcame Buffaloes 15-8 while KPF surprisingly crumbled at Lusaka 12-10 to surrender the second slot to their Kitwe rivals.
Lusaka 13 Buffaloes 16
Lusaka failed to build on last week’s win over KPF by losing at the hands of visiting Green Buffaloes.
The visitors placed a try through Penson Chileshe which was converted by Larry Kaushiku.
Kaushiku also scored two penalties and a drop goal to help his team move to fifth place with 14 points, one point behind KPF.
The hosts scored two tries through Shelline Muchelo which was converted by Israel Kalumba, who added two penalties.
With the loss, Lusaka remain on  eight points, just one above the relegation zone.
Chibuluma 15 Nkwazi 17
Elsewhere, bottom of the table Chibuluma failed to use home ground advantage as they allowed visiting and now third-placed Nkwazi to edge them.
The home team scored two tries by Mwamba Kabeya and Wesley Zulu with just one converted by Ken Bwalya who later scored a penalty, but that was not enough to help his side move from the relegation zone.
Nkwazi scored a try by Benson Chileshe, while Laston Mukosa scored three penalties and a drop goal to help his side  move to third place with 18 points, two behind ‘Men at work’ Diggers.
Meanwhile, in Division Two, Mufulira won a walkover as Kansanshi did not give ample time for postponement of this match and remained on top with 22 points.
Ndola 7 Konkola 10
Once ‘killer bees’ Ndola Wanders failed to use their sting as they went down at home at the hands of Konkola, who moved to 16 points, seven below league leaders Mufulira.
Nchanga 18 Roan 7
Nchanga continued with their promotion pursuit after they defeated Roan 18-7 in Chingola to remain in the second place with 15 points, a point below second-placed Konkola.