Online Reporter
STELLENBOSCH. —For Sables captain, Hilton Mudariki, it’s the vibe that has been the key thing in the team’s preparations in South Africa.
Their battle against South Africa A promises to be more than just a curtain-raiser.
The Sables are in Stellenbosch as Piet Benade fine-tunes his charges and makes his final picks for the June 20 match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
“The vibe has been very positive,” said Mudariki.
“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.
Benade carried a rather new-look Sables ensemble to South Africa with the gaffer hoping to have one final look at as many players as possible.
Of particular interest were the foreign-based players, fresh off their releases from the respective clubs, and a couple new faces.
These include the likes of Tude Visser, Dale Lemon, from the UK, who hope to get their Test debuts for Zimbabwe.
DHL Stormers Gary Porter has finally heed the call and availed himself for duty, while the likes of Daniel Cooke and Bruce Houston have also made the cut.
“The foreign-based guys have integrated themselves rather well,” said Mudariki.
“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.
Of course, Zimbabwe are using the match as the final lap of their Nations Cup preparations.
The Zimbabwe Rugby union will name their final Nations Cup squad on June 25 at a private function in the capital.
They will then depart for the United States on June 28.
Zimbabwe’s Nations Cup opener against Tonga is slated for July 4.
All eyes will be Stick and his South Africa A side come June 20.
Across the pond, the South Africa Rugby union (SARU) have handpicked Mzwandile Stick for the task of leading the South Africa A side during that match.
Stick is Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus’ assistant, adding a little fire under the belly of the South Africa A players as a good shift will bring them closer to the famed green-and-white jersey.
This will also be first time that South Africa “A” will be in action since they faced off against the Bristol Bears and Munster in November 2022.
Stick was also head coach for both of those fixtures, which South Africa lost.
The Bears claimed a 26-18 victory while Munster beat them 28-14 at a sold-out Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork.
A 54-men extended squad is currently in camp with Eramus and Stick expected to make their respective picks next week.
Stick is still searching for his first victory in charge of the SA “A” team.
And, Erasmus just made his task even more difficult as he highlighted the importance of the Zimbabwe match as it helps get players ready for the Springboks structures.
“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,” said Eramus.
“Fom 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.” he said. — Zimpapers Sports Hub/planetrugby.com
