Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOR the Junior Sables, tomorrow’s rugby match against Uganda in Kampala may not carry the weight of a tournament fixture, but coach Shaun De Souza believes that could be precisely what his young charges need.
After a disappointing Barthes Trophy campaign that ended with Zimbabwe settling for bronze, the Under-20 side now has an opportunity to finish their Uganda tour on a positive note when they face the hosts in a regulation Test.
And De Souza is embracing the chance to see his players express themselves without the intense pressure that came with the continental tournament.
“Saturday’s game is an opportunity for us to express ourselves out of a pressure environment,” De Souza said.
“Yes, a Test match is still pressure, but tournament pressure is different. I think the guys are more relaxed and will be able to play to the system without as much pressure.”
That relaxed approach could make the Test a useful exercise for Zimbabwe, who were unable to fulfil their ambition of winning the Barthes Trophy after losing 35-23 to eventual champions Kenya in the semi-finals.
The Junior Sables recovered strongly, however, putting Tunisia to the sword with a convincing 38-12 victory to secure third place and, more importantly, retain their place in the Performance Division for next year’s competition.
Uganda, meanwhile, earned promotion to the Performance Division after completing a double over Zambia, including an emphatic 81-0 victory in their opening encounter before winning the return fixture 27-12.
With neither side having significant tournament stakes riding on tomorrow’s encounter, De Souza sees an opportunity to look beyond the immediate result.
“It’s obviously a send-off for our last dance for the 2006 boys, and then the 2007 boys that are going to continue their journey next year as seniors,” he said.
“We’ll try and get them some minutes as well, so we’ve got to manage the two sides of it, the send-off to the 2006 boys and giving some game time to the 2007 boys and building our platform for the future path.”
De Souza revealed that 10 players from the current 31-man squad are expected to be retained, while a wider group of 15 players is also being monitored as Zimbabwe begin laying the foundations for the next generation.
“We have 10 players that we’re retaining from this squad of 31, and including a wider squad, we’ve got 15 players that we’re looking at,” he said.
“So, it’s still an opportunity for us to grow and build our platform, which is our main mandate, building a depth chart for the senior teams in sevens and in fifteens.”
