Air Force disappoint

and for a spirited team like Air Force, it’s unforgivable.
Just a match before the airmen were shot down, Gweru Sports Club, who showed a hint more fight — lost 79-24 against Old Hararians.
From a quick glance, one would think these as Twenty20 cricket scores and may even wonder how the distinction between the winners and the losers in the second round of the National Rugby League can be that massive.
I heavily criticise the airforce side because, unlike most of the other teams we’ve watched this season, theirs is mostly unchanged and one can tell that they have played as a unit longer than most of the teams around them.
Gweru can be pardoned from massive criticism for their loss and rather commended for their fight against a full strength OH side.
OH kept them in their 10-yard line for the majority of the first half but the Gweru men were excellent on their counter attacks and ran the ball flawlessly for two tries and an additional two in the second half.
Air Force, whom I rate as one of the fittest running squads along with the ZRP, do not seem to realise what their strength is and how to use it.
Fifteen’s rugby is a game that is centralised around perfect coordination, utilisation of mass and strength as well the sheer endurance to outrun the opposition backline.
HSC, OH and Old Georgians are the masters of this art in the NRL and all their opponents know it, though some ignore the obvious reality.
The Airforce team’s tactical approach was limited and a confused scrum-half and his fly-half caused a series of disjointed attack options which lost possession and forced them to always be in defensive formations.
This was quite disheartening considering the abilities that the airmen possess.
Shingirai Marufu and Onward Chinhago scored a try each for the airmen.
ZRP and Airforce are some of the few teams who can run the ball from their forwards to their wings and back to the centre field without knocking the ball.
They have done it a lot of times because of their abilities to outrun their opponents for longer than their fitness levels allow.
Then, how then do the airmen choke against top sides even when they know how everyone dreads chasing after these pacy forces?
This does not benefit anyone in the league, Airforce seem to learn nothing from their repeated big losses against the big teams and change will not come anytime soon.
Meanwhile, OH and HSC got a bit of target practice before their derby day at Old Hararians today.
Sadly for both teams, last week’s matches were insufficient preparatory games. I can say the two teams went for stone fights in preparation for a canon battle.