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Grace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (21) 28
Kenya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7) 7
THE Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team showed great tenacity, consistency and determination to defend the Barthes Trophy when they beat the hosts Kenya in an exciting final at Nyayo Stadium yesterday.
The victory was a cherry on top for the youth team that had already qualified for the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy before playing in yesterday’s final.
Zimbabwe will join Kenya, who qualified as hosts, for the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy that will run from July 15 to 30 at the same venue in Nairobi.
The other countries set to take part in the global event are Scotland (relegated from the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2019), Hong Kong (Asia), Samoa (Oceania), Spain (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and winners between USA and Canada from North America.
The World Rugby Under-20 Trophy is the second tier competition, below the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, which is also returning for the first since Covid-19 and will be hosted in South Africa between June and July 2023.
The best 12 nations including the hosts, England and others will participate in the Championship in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Zimbabwe’s junior national team qualified for the Junior World Trophy prior to yesterday’s final after a 60-6 semi-final victory against Tunisia and a 55-0 whitewash victory against Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter-final.
But the competition was a bit challenging yesterday. To their credit, the Zimbabwean team which was reduced to 14 players for the larger part of the second half after Muzuva Gutu was shown a red card, managed to maintain their early lead.
The Junior Sables scored four tries through Edward Sigauke, who got the opening try as well as the last try two minutes before the game ended. The other two tries came from Simbarashe Kanyangarara and Alex Nyamunda in the first half.
Sigauke had another try cancelled in the second half by the referee.
The Young Sables got their first try after Kenya had won a penalty and failed to convert. Zimbabwe got their first try and Brendan Marume converted to put Zimbabwe in the 7-0 lead. Vociferous Zimbabwean fans in the terraces broke into song “Yave Nyama Yekugocha”.
Zimbabwean winger Kanyangarara scored the Junior Sables’ second try after hard work by utility back Alex Nyamunda, who delivered a good pass to him.
Zimbabwe were leading 14-0 after 15 minutes of action.
The Junior Sables were composed, industrious and took advantage of the opportunities and forced the Kenyans to dig deeper.
The team, which had not conceded a try in this tournament, were then breached for the first time by Kenya with Chipu captain Laban Kipsang converting.
It was the only try that Zimbabwe conceded during the tournament in which they played three matches, proving the strength of the Zimbabwean defence.
With the game now 14-7 in favour of Zimbabwe, Nyamunda scored the third try for coach Shaun De Souza troops.
The outstanding Nyamunda, who was driving the team’s dominance, got the ball and passed it to a fellow Sable before retaining it and making runs into acres of space to place the ball exactly where he wanted and give Zimbabwe a 21-7 lead following a conversion.
Nyamunda led Zimbabwe as they displayed consistency, with brilliant and simple rugby. The team has been playing together in competitive games since they won last year’s edition of the Barthes Trophy.
Zimbabwe were forced to make an injury-inspired change. Forward Bryan Chiang was replaced by Stanley Muranganwa.
The Kenyan coach made two tactical changes in the first half which were effective in containing the attacks from Zimbabwe. The introduction of Kenyan Raymond Chacha somehow managed to neutralise Nyamunda, who was proving to be a handful for the hosts.
After the breather, Zimbabwe lost Gutu after he was given marching orders by the referee, who appeared somehow sympathetic to the hosts’ cause.
The Junior Sables managed to hang on under wet conditions as the rains pounded Nyayo Stadium. Zimbabwean fly half Marume and Old Georgians player Tanaka Gondo-Mukandapi showed their class as the team absorbed pressure and forced turnovers. With six minutes to go, there was a line break from Marume, with Kanyangarara involved to ensure that Sigauke scored the first points for Zimbabwe in the second half. However, after consultations the referee cancelled the try for the score line to remain at 21-7.
Zimbabwe remained composed and Sigauke could not be denied his double. Just before the match ended. Dion Khumalo broke through and passed the ball to Sigauke who got it right this time around, to end the match with Zimbabwe 28 and Kenya 7.
Zimbabwe skipper Panashe Zuze was handed the trophy much to the jubilation of the team which was then led by Kanyangarara into the song “Tave Kuenda Basa Tasiya Tapedza”.
The victorious team is scheduled to arrive home this morning at 11 am. The Zimbabwe Rugby Union is calling on fans to come out in their numbers and receive the World Trophy-bound team.
Zimbabwe Under-20 line up: Nqobile Manyara, Tadiwa Chinwada, Huntley Materson, Tanaka Gondomukandapi, Tanaka Ndoro, Muzuva Gutu, Allan Mawunga, Panashe Zuze, Brendan Marume, Edward Sigauke, Alex Nyamunda, Dion Khumalo, Simba Kanyangarara, Benoni Nhekairo.
Online Reporter