Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira , Sports Reporter
JUNIOR Sables coach Shaun De Souza says his charges are ready to defend their Rugby Africa Barthes Trophy title when they face Kenya in a winner-take-all-all encounter at Harare Sports Club this afternoon.
The Junior Sables have won the previous two editions of the tournament.
Four teams are playing in this year’s competition which is being played on a round-robin format.
In their two matches played so far, the Junior Sables beat Tunisia 46-21 in their opening match played last weekend before going on to overcome Namibia 35-23 on Wednesday.
Their last game against Kenya this afternoon will decide who wins the tournament.
Kenya landed eight tries to silence Tunisia 56-17 for their second consecutive victory in the championship.
The team with the highest points after the three rounds will be declared winners.
The match between hosts Zimbabwe and Kenya this afternoon has been turned into a final, with the winner walking away as the African champions.
De Souza is confident ahead of the clash with Kenya.
“It’s a big moment. We have prepared well. It’s gonna be a war but we are ready. They will be seeking to dethrone us but we are up for the challenge. Everyone is excited and looking forward to the game. We call on the fans to come in their numbers and help us make history,” said De Souza.
ZRU vice-president Martin Shone says winning the Barthes Trophy treble will be a testament of the good work being done at the grassroots level as a nation. Shone says the success is a result of the country benefiting from a functional school system. “As the Union, we are excited with the progress made in our Junior Sables. We are hoping that we continue with the same conveyor belt in years to come. As you can see the style of play and results speak for themselves. We are hoping on Sunday we retain the trophy for the third time in a row. It’s also good because we have a lot of schoolchildren that have come to watch these games,” said Shone.
He added: “We give credit to the school system which grooms these kids who are now able to play for the national team,” said Shone. – @innocentskizoe
Bongani Ndlovu