Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
THE stage is set for a high-stakes rugby encounter between the Zimbabwe Sables and South Africa A, a match that is shaping up to be far more than the curtain-raiser it was initially billed to be.
What was once seen as a supporting fixture now carries real significance for both sides, with pride, selection opportunities and future ambitions all on the line.
On one side, the Zimbabwe Sables are camped in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where head coach Piet Benade is putting his squad through final preparations ahead of the June 20 clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
Across the field, the South African Rugby union (SARU) has appointed Mzwandile Stick to lead the South Africa A side for the match.
Stick, who is assistant to Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, adds extra pressure and motivation for his players, many of whom will be hoping to impress and move closer to senior national team selection.
This will be South Africa A’s first outing since November 2022, when they lost to Bristol Bears and Munster. Bristol claimed a 26-18 win, while Munster beat the South African side 28-14 in Cork.
With just over a week to go, Zimbabwe are expected to wrap up what has been a key training camp in South Africa tomorrow. Team captain Hilton Mudariki says preparations have gone well and the squad is fully focused on the upcoming challenge.
“The vibe has been very positive. As we get closer to the South Africa A game and the Nations Cup, the focus and intensity have definitely gone up. Camp has been excellent. We have had quality training sessions, and the environment here in Stellenbosch has allowed us to prepare well.
“We are now in a really good place in terms of our preparedness, but there is always room to improve. Right now, it is just about sharpening the small details and making sure we’re ready to perform come game day,” he said.
Coach Benade has named a largely new-look squad as he assesses his options ahead of upcoming assignments. Of particular interest are foreign-based players who have just joined camp, along with a few new faces looking to secure places in the team.
United Kingdom-based players Tude Visser and Dale Lemon are among those pushing for Test debuts, while DHL Stormers player Gary Porter, as well as Daniel Cooke and Bruce Houston, have also been included.
Mudariki said the integration of these players has strengthened the squad.
“The foreign-based guys have integrated themselves rather well. They have added quality and experience, and the competition for places has lifted standards across the squad. The adaptation period, while short, has been smooth. Everyone has settled in well and bought into what we are trying to achieve as a team,” he said.
South Africa A are also intensifying their preparations, with a 54-man squad currently in camp. Erasmus and Stick are expected to trim the squad and name the final team next week.
Although the Springboks’ clash with the Barbarians remains the headline fixture, the Zimbabwe versus South Africa A match is attracting growing attention.
For Zimbabwe, it forms an important part of preparations for the Nations Cup. The final squad is expected to be announced on June 25 before the team departs for the United States three days later. Zimbabwe will face Tonga in their opening match on July 4.
Meanwhile, there will be added focus on Stick, who is still searching for his first win as South Africa A coach. Erasmus has highlighted the importance of the match, saying it offers players a valuable chance to prove themselves.
“The match between the SA ‘A’ team and Zimbabwe will serve as a fantastic opportunity for both teams to achieve some of their objectives with the Rugby World Cup in mind. From a South African point of view, we have seen the benefits of having an SA ‘A’ team playing against quality opposition
“Players such as Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu), Ruan (Nortje), Grant (Williams), Aphelele (Fassi), and Elrigh (Louw), among others, all played for the team in the early stages of their international careers, and have become important members of our squad since.
“This match will offer us another chance to give guys within our squad and others who have really put up their hands to prove what they can do against international opposition.
“We have done well to rotate our squad and give several players a chance in the last two seasons, but there are others who have performed really well outside of that group, who we would like to see in action. So we will be able to cast our net wider as we prepare for that encounter,” he said.
With both teams using the match as a stepping stone towards bigger goals, the encounter is expected to be competitive and closely contested.
Zimpapers Sports Hub/planetrugby.com
