adminFrom Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
DESPITE finishing in third place at the Confederation of African Rugby Sevens tournament which ended at Prince Edward High School in Harare yesterday, Zimbabwe’s Sevens national rugby team, the Cheetahs, have qualified for the Hong Kong Sevens World Sevens Series qualifier event in March next year.
Zimbabwe, by reaching the semi-final stage where they lost to the South African Academy, made sure that they make it to Hong Kong where they will get an opportunity to once again continue with their quest to qualify for World Sevens Series core membership status. Zimbabwe would be joined in the Hong Kong qualifying tournament by Tunisia who made it by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the Africa event.
The Gilbert Nyamutsamba coached Cheetahs defeated Tunisia 40-5 in a third place playoff match to end the tournament on a high note. South African Academy, with several players who have represented the Blitzbokke in the World Series were the champions of the tournament with a 38-5 triumph over Kenya in the final.
With South Africa Academy and Kenya having nothing much to play for in the Africa Cup since they are already full members of the World Rugby (formerly International Rugby Board) World Sevens Series, all the Jacques Leitao led Cheetahs had to do was to make it to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup.
That mission was accomplished yesterday morning in their final pool B encounter against Namibia, a match the Cheetahs won 14-7, a victory which secured their place in the last four of the tournament. Zimbabwe fought hard to overcome a determined Namibia but it took yet another moment of brilliance from star winger Tafadzwa Chitokwindo to seal it for the Cheetahs. Scrumhalf Stephan Hunduza had put Zimbabwe ahead with a try, converted by Rouse.
Namibia responded with a converted try by Justin Nel which made the situation tricky for Zimbabwe. With the scores level at 7-7, that meant trouble for Zimbabwe as the Namibians enjoyed a superior points difference. Chitokwindo produced some moment of brilliance, burning down the Namibian defence on the left wing after being fed by Kilvan Magunje and charged through to plant the ball over the line, Rouse adding the two extra points with a successful conversion.
Zimbabwe finished second to Kenya in Pool B after the Kenyans routed Ivory Coast 52-0 in their last pool match.
In the semifinals against the Marius Schoeman coached South African Academy, the visitors got their first try from winger Devon Williams, sent out far wide on the left to score under the posts, Willem Strydom came with the conversion to put his team 7-0 up. Skipper Steven Hunt dotted down the second try for South African Academy when he went through the gap to score under the posts, Strydom with a successful conversion kick extended South African Academy‘s lead to 14-0.
Zimbabwe’s star player in the two day tournament, Chitokwindo with his trademark run on the left wing scored the first try for the Cheetahs through on the left to put the ball over the line under the posts when the halftime buzzer had already gone off, Boyd Rouse’s conversion reduced deficit to seven points as South Africa Academy led 14-7 going into the break.
Two minutes after the break, big man Shaun Adendorff bulldozed his way to score South Africa Academy’s third try of the match, the conversion was missed by Strydom meaning the visitors led 19-7.
Zimbabwe’s second try came from prop Fortune Chipendu right at the end and conversion was missed by Rouse and Zimbabwe’s hopes of reaching the final were over.
Nyamutsamba was pleased that they were able to attain some of the goals that they had set for themselves going into the tournament.
“I’m happy we did achieve our targets for this tournament that’s to qualify for Hong Kong and get a seeding for the 2016 Olympic qualification process. We had two debutants, Shayne Makombe and Rian O’Neil, with the help of the senior players they settled well into the team,’’ said Nyamutsamba.
The Cheetahs have rest today and resume training at the Innovate High Performance Centre in Emerald Hill from tomorrow with 15 players getting into camp in preparation for the South Africa leg of the World Sevens Series which takes place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on 13 and 14 December.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu