adminMehluli Sibanda in Durban, South Africa
Zimbabwe Under-18 5-78 Griquas Under-18
ZIMBABWE’s Junior Sables were taken to the cleaners by Griquas in a one-sided game in their second outing at the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week at Kearsney College’s Stott Field in Durban yesterday.
Griquas scored a massive 12 tries and nine conversions to annihilate the Old Mutual-sponsored Junior Sables, who only managed one unconverted try. It was a huge fall from grace for coach Godwin Murambiwa’s lads that had started the tournament on a high note with a 16-9 victory over Griquas Country Districts on Monday.
However, the Junior Sables were made to pay for a poor defensive effort, which was a far cry from the brilliant display they put up to stop the opposition’s raids on Monday.
Murambiwa blamed the defeat on a poor defensive performance, especially in the second half. He now has a hard time preparing his boys for their last match against Namibia on Saturday.
“That’s what happens if you don’t tackle; we spoke about it on Monday. We didn’t defend and we actually did not look like we wanted to be on the field, so really that is what has happened,” said Murambiwa.
“The reality is that we embarrassed ourselves as a national team; you don’t have excuses for a performance like that; it was a poor performance all round, the boys know it, we all know it. Unfortunately as things go, we have one more game which will be against Namibia, we will have to see if the boys can bounce back from this and play better,” he said.
Zimbabwe enjoyed the most ball possession in the first five minutes during which they kept the Griquas confined to their own half.
The Junior Sables, however, started conceding penalties, which sparked the beginning of their demise.
Griquas scored their first try in the ninth minute from a rolling maul from a lineout, with hooker Anton van Romburg going over, but left wing Cameron Hufke missed the conversion kick.
The second try came in the 17th minute from yet another maul, flank Rian Kotze planting the ball over the line. This time Hufke’s conversion went over to give the boys from Griqualand a 12-0 lead.
Zimbabwe first centre Matthew McNab was sent to the sin bin by referee Ricus van der Hoven in the 17th minute for holding onto the ball while on the ground and the Junior Sables had to endure 10 minutes one man down.
Griquas made the numerical advantage count in their favour as they notched up their third try from a won scrum in the 23rd minute, with fullback Ashwin Botha going over at the right corner and Hufke converting the kick for a 19-0 lead.
A minute before the halftime break, the Griquas scored their fourth try, Hufke showing the Zimbabwean defence a clean pair of heels for a try and conversion kick to put his team 26-0 up.
Griquas did not slow down in the second half and scored their fifth try four minutes after the break when second centre Dean Ackerman touched down under the posts. Hufke’s successful conversion put his team 33- 0 into the lead.
McNab got Zimbabwe’s only points when he powered his way through to score a try whose conversion kick he directed wide of the posts.
Hufke scored the sixth try, but missed the conversion kick. Ackerman scored the seventh try before Botha got his second try and the eighth for Griquas. It was try number nine for the Griquas, with eight minutes to go when lock and captain Bernard Jansen burst through the gap to score under the posts.
The 10th was delivered by Hufke and Botha completed his hat trick of tries straight from the kick off before right wing Gladwyn Nieuwenhuizen got his own try whose conversion was booted in by Hufke, who deservedly got the man-of-the-match award for his superb display.
Junior Sables against Griquas: Simbarashe Maringa, Marcus Nichole, Samuel Garnett, Liam Bennett, Daniel Hutchings, Tichaona Hwangwa, Tonderai Chiwambutsa, Stuart Dodington (captain), Jeremy Munyeza, Martin Mangongo, Rangarirai Mariwa, Matthew McNab, Peter Davis, Tapiwa Marimira, Nqobisile Ncube
Replacements: Tinashe Chaza, Cleopas Kundiona, Godfrey Magaramombe, Tendekai Chigwendere, Connor McMillan, Benjamin Meredith (backline captain), Rodney Sachiti
Online Reporter