Tinashe Kusema Zimpapers Sports Hub
WITH experienced campaigners Hilton Mudariki and Kudzi Mashawi sitting out this encounter, much will be expected of Tyrone Gombe, Dion Khumalo and Tinotenda Mavesere when Zimbabwe take on Uruguay in their penultimate Nations Cup match this evening.
The match kicks off at 5PM Zimbabwe time at the Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing, England.
Zimbabwe and Uruguay go into the encounter still searching for their first victories in what have been disappointing campaigns for both sides.
Both nations are out of contention for top honours in their respective pools, with Zimbabwe rooted to the bottom of Pool B on two points after four matches.
Georgia lead the group with 19 points, followed by Portugal (17), Spain (13) and Romania (11), while Hong Kong China and Zimbabwe have six and two points respectively.
In Pool A, which comprises teams from the Americas and Pacific regions, the United States lead the standings with 19 points and are favourites to clinch the group. Samoa and Tonga occupy second and third positions respectively, tied on 12 points.
Chile (10), Uruguay (8) and Canada (7) complete the standings.
With the title race now beyond their reach, both Zimbabwe and Uruguay will be looking to finish their campaigns strongly, making tonight’s encounter an opportunity to restore confidence ahead of their final fixtures.
A victory would provide a welcome boost for either side.
Sables coach Piet Benade has made several tactical and personnel changes in a bid to improve the team’s fortunes, with Mudariki and Mashawi left out of the matchday squad altogether.
Gombe and Khumalo have been handed rare starting opportunities, while Mavesere takes over the captaincy.
The changes are not only intended to give other players an opportunity to prove themselves but also to form part of Zimbabwe’s longer-term succession planning beyond the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
“We have a number of highly experienced players who remain very important to our squad, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that we build our depth and that the younger players build experience so the team is in good shape once these older leaders move on,” said Benade.
“We trust that the younger players now have earned enough trust to take ownership and use this opportunity to grow so we are protected in the future,” he said.
Among the other changes, Benade has moved Jason Robertson to fly-half, with Ian Prior dropping to the bench.
Tapiwa Mafura returns to full-back, while Matthew McNab comes in to replace him on the wing.
The Sables are coming off a chastening 43-7 defeat to Samoa last weekend, a result that exposed areas requiring attention but also provided valuable lessons against high-quality opposition.
“Samoa had a number of world-class players and certainly tested us in ways we had not been tested in the past,” said Benade.
“That is a big advantage to us to now be playing against top teams in the world like that. We will learn from every encounter.
“However, we really stuck to our task and finishing the game strong was a big positive. We will need to keep that level going into the remaining two matches.
“I think all around we can improve.
“We took nice steps forward with our set piece and hope to build on that while working on our attack and defensive cohesion,” he said.
Uruguay, meanwhile, have their own challenges and motivations heading into the encounter.
The fixture also highlights the contrasting coaching journeys of the two nations as they prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Under Benade, Zimbabwe have enjoyed a resurgence, with the coach guiding the Sables to back-to-back Rugby Africa Cup titles and qualification for their first Rugby World Cup since 1991.
Uruguay, on the other hand, recently underwent a coaching overhaul, replacing Rodolfo Ambrósio with Guzmán Barreiro.
Los Teros secured their sixth Rugby World Cup appearance after defeating Chile 46-37 on aggregate in 2025.
However, Barreiro has endured a difficult start in charge of the senior national team, managing just one victory in seven matches, a 41-12 triumph over Paraguay in an international friendly.
He also oversaw a 36-36 draw against Romania in a Nations Cup encounter last July.
Uruguay subsequently suffered defeats against Georgia (41-34), Hong Kong China (42-40) and Spain (18-12) in the Nations Cup.
Their other two losses came against a Chile XV (33-14) and Argentina (64-10) in friendly encounters.
Despite Uruguay’s recent struggles, Benade is refusing to underestimate their capabilities, insisting that the South American side deserve respect.
“Uruguay are a proud rugby nation who have had success at the World Cup, so we will need to be at our best on Saturday (today) to be in with a shout at the end,” he said.
