Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SHAUN DE SOUZA appears to be ambivalent when it comes to the just-ended Paramount Under-20 Rugby League.
The timing of the league and, more specifically, the final itself couldn’t have come a worse off time for De Souza and his Zimbabwe Junior Sables squad.
The league wrapped up last weekend with champions Pitbulls retaining their title after posting a convincing 33-17 victory over Old Hararians 33-17 in a nail-biting final.
Some of his charges were on duty and have a short turnover before their first international assignment, a scrimmage match against the Queensland Outback Barbarians at Hartsfield in Bulawayo this afternoon.
“Rugby is a contact sport and injuries come with the territory,” said De Souza, upon touching in Bulawayo yesterday.
“We have a few players carrying a few scraps and niggles and our technical team have been monitoring them since the completion of Saturday’s Paramount Under-20 final,” he said.
Stressed about his players taking part in the final, De Souza said: “It’s a matter of weighing the pros and the cons.
“It is good that our players have been active and playing competitive rugby but, then again, as active sportsmen there is always the need to rest and recuperate.
“Four days is not really enough time for players to heal and re-energise, but play the hand that you are dealt,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Junior Sables arrived in Bulawayo around lunch time yesterday and had a light session at Christian Brothers College.
They will then embark a captain’s run after which rest up for this afternoon’s match against the Queensland Outback Barbarians.
“We arrived this afternoon and had a light session at CBC during we wanted to help the guys stretch and prepare for the match,” said the Junior Sables gaffer.
“The match should be a good encounter and an excellent barometer of where we stand in terms of preparations for next month’s Barthes Trophy,” he said.
The match against the Australian side is the first of many matches lined up for the Junior Sables ahead of the Barthes Trophy slated for April 17-27 in Harare.
The team also has two matches against Harare Sports Club and Old Georgians this weekend.
However, those matches will be primarily for the players, who failed to make the trip to Bulawayo.
The Zimbabwe Under-20 squad will then be divided into two teams- Junior Sables and the ‘Grassroots to Greatness squad’— for the Nedbank Rugby Challenge that kicks off next week.
A match against a Zimbabwe A side will then be sandwiched between the Nedbank Rugby Challenge and the Barthes Trophy.
The run of competitive matches will then wrap up with two matches against a Sharks Academy Under-20 side.
It is De Souza’s hope that this run of matches will be tremendously beneficial to his charges as the Junior World Trophy remains the ultimate goal.
“It is a first for us, we have never had such a consistent run of games,” he said.
“First up is the Queensland Outback Barbarians and here the main goal will be to test ourselves in a competitive game situation.
“We will be looking at our set plays, line-outs, our reaction in defence and tactical awareness.
“This is not to say that the scoreline will not count as we never go into a match expecting not to win it,” added De Souza.
