Kabeya targets ‘ruthless performance’ against Sale Sharks

Sadia Kabeya is targeting a ‘ruthless performance’ from Loughborough Lightning in their final outing of 2024 away at Sale Sharks this weekend.

The African Violets have scored ten tries across their last three games without picking up a victory and will be aiming to end that sequence when they travel to the CorpAcq Stadium on Saturday (kick-off: 2pm).

Hosts Sale have their own monkey they are hoping to get off their backs as their search for a first victory of the season runs into a tenth match.

Lightning are likely to have flanker Kabeya within their ranks off the back of her first start in five months against Harlequins last time out, which she marked with a try on top of making 20 tackles and 14 carries. 

“As a squad we are really excited for this weekend,” the 22-year-old. “We feel like we have let ourselves down and that we should’ve got a result by this time. 

“I think anyone who has watched our games will have seen that we have been putting out really good performances, but just not coming away with the result that we want.

“I think going into this weekend, we are just trying to get the best result possible. It’s a no mercy kind of game, we are going to put out our best performance possible. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, it is the same plan.

Kabeya’s 2024/25 season didn’t start on the pitch until late November due to hamstring and ankle injuries, that prevented her from participating in WXV for a second cutovertiver year and adding to her 18 international caps.

“I am obviously used to this five-month break!” Kabeya joked. “It is really nice to be running around with the girls and hitting things again.

“I had the same thing last year which was quite hard for me, being my first injury and my first time missing out on WXV. Going into this year and facing that same time frame again, it has been a bit easier, knowing how I came back last time. 

“It is not nice, but it is a challenge to be put in a place where I am chasing to get back to my best again or back to better than where I was when I left off. Mentally it has been pretty hard to see the girls go out there and see the team playing, as a player and being a part of those teams, you want to see them doing well and I just wanted to get back on the pitch and bring what I can to that. It was definitely tough, but a good mental challenge for me.

“Loughborough and England have been great in supporting me. It was a double-whammy injury which was hard to manage, but they have been perfect in doing my schedules and mentally, if there's anything that I’ve needed, they have been there for me.”

Kabeya’s return to action came from the bench at half-time against Saracens in Round 8 before a first start followed against Gloucester-Hartpury, when she made a staggering 26 tackles in her hour-long shift.

While she is clocking up some incredible personal statistics, the flanker’s main target is delivering match points this weekend to head into 2025 on the most positive note possible.

“What we have seen is if we keep doing what we have been doing and we stick to our plan, our kicks and our pressure and our offensive plans, we will get the outcomes that we want,” Kabeya said. “It is just about being patient. Everything is there, we have got the players, we have got the skills, we have got the heart, it is just about being patient and riding it out for that win. We will hopefully see that in the New Year and this weekend.”