adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
REWIND to 1990.
This was the last time Zimbabwe qualified for the Rugby World Cup and the Sables had to win their last game against Tunisia at the Police Grounds.
Zimbabwe faced Tunisia — who had not lost their two games in the competition — but they overturned a 6-7 half time deficit to claim a place at the World Cup with a 24-13 win.
It was the boot of captain Andy Ferreira that led the Sables to the Promised land.
Tunisian lock Mekni Ali crossed the line after a 22-metre individual run but Ferreira added 14 points to his two first half penalties before he added a try in the later stages of the game giving Zimbabwe a ticket to the World Cup.
Going into the match, both Zimbabwe and Tunisia had not lost a game but it had to boil down to the final tournament encounter that the Sables emerged victorious.
In their first game Zimbabwe beat Ivory Coast 22-9, a win which was hard fought although the hosts were sure favourites to come out victors.
Then Zimbabwe scored three good tries to take a comfortable 16-0 half time lead and the tries were courtesy of a Dave Walters’ brace and winger Elimon “Bedford” Chimbima.
The West Africans came back strong in the second half but Walters added another try to give Zimbabwe their first win.
The Sables squad included such greats as Alex Nichols, Dave Walters, Honeywell Nguruve, Brendan Dawson, Everisto Usayiwevu, Dzinomurumbi among others.
Then the Sables had to face Morocco.
Fast forward to 2014.
Twenty four years down the line Zimbabwe find themselves in the same situation, needing to win their last game to make it for the World Cup with an automatic ticket but it will also not be easy with Kenya and Namibia in their way. One common feature in these two Zimbabwe squads is Dawson, who then did not know that some day he was going to be the country’s most capped player nor that he would be the coach of the side.
If they did it then, why can’t they do it again in tomorrow’s Super Sunday?
Online Reporter