Cheetahs round up tour

Brandon Moyo, [email protected]
THE Sables’ Africa Cup Zimbabwe Tour concluded with a thrilling win over a Manicaland provincial select team at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) has been spreading the buzz around the coveted title across the provinces and last week, they visited the Eastern Highlands where Zimbabwe A battled it out with Manicaland in an intense match.

Despite Zimbabwe A dominating possession, they faced stiff competition from the Manicaland team. The visitors took an early lead through three well-converted penalties, capitalising on Zimbabwe A’s indiscipline.

However, Zimbabwe A’s superior ball-handling skills and aerial prowess eventually paid off, helping them secure a narrow 46-30 victory.

Although the home team scored several tries and played better than their opponents, Manicaland managed to keep the score close by scoring three tries through several turnovers and defensive lapses from Zimbabwe A.

National team head coach, Piet Benade, acknowledged the need for experimenting with team combinations and giving new players opportunities before the tours to the UAE and South Korea.

In the upcoming weeks, Zimbabwe A will play a two-match series against the Zimbabwe Under-20 select side, followed by a friendly match against the UAE national team on November 5 at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

After that, they will head to South Korea for an alignment camp and play two matches from November 7-15.

Benade expressed excitement about these tours, emphasising that they will help the team prepare for World Cup qualifiers and showcase their talent on a global platform.

“We’re excited to test ourselves against international opposition and gain valuable match experience.

These tours will help us prepare for World Cup qualifiers and showcase our talent globally,” said Benade.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Cheetahs registered another victory in game five of the Safari Sevens tournament in Nairobi, Kenya, beating Kenya Harlequins 22-10 on Sunday.