Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SPAIN-BASED forward Matthew Mandioma is cautioning his teammates against complacency as they prepare to defend their Rugby Africa Cup title in Uganda next month.
The 29-year-old hooker, who recently joined the team’s camp, emphasises the importance of maintaining good habits and keeping a level head.
Mandioma has refused to read much into the Sables’ flattering unbeaten run and the tag of defending champions, which they will take to Uganda.
He instead wanted the Sables to remain grounded in calmness.
Mandioma, who remains a firm favourite to start at the hooker position, joined camp last week as Zimbabwe continue their preparations for their title defence and hopefully punch their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, at the continental tournament.
He has since revealed how impressed he is with the camaraderie and calmness within the Zimbabwe camp.
“Well, firstly, it’s really good to be back,” said Mandioma.
“I arrived back home late last week and it’s been really nice to have a couple of sessions with the guys since our last game against Zambia.
“The energy in the squad seems to be really good. There’s a lot of calmness about it, which is different to previous camps we have had before.
Zimbabwe are currently unbeaten since Piet Benade took over as Sables coach last year.
In that time, Zimbabwe have beaten Zambia four times, dispatched the likes of Uganda, Namibia and Tunisia enroute to clinching last year’s Africa Cup.
They also beat South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and most recently, thumped Botswana.
However, Mandioma, as one of the senior members of the team, has warned of the dangers of the team becoming complacent.
The Zimbabwe hooker, who last year earned his 50th cap for the Sables, believes it is the duty of the senior members of the team to keep the troops grounded.
“For me, being defending champions is really important, but we need to keep and maintain really good habits,” he said.
“First and foremost, we can’t have complacency, so I look to the core of our leadership group and the team.
“This is to say Aiden (Burnet), Hilton (Mudariki) and Kudzi Mashawi, It’s our job and our responsibility to keep everything positive.
“We need to keep guys on their toes, keep grinding and not expect things to happen just because we are defending champions,” he said.
Mandioma also opened up on his recent spell in Spain, saying “it’s was great. It’s been great.
“It’s really, really demanding.
“You play a lot of games each year. You are playing on the upwards of 26 games a season.
“And it’s just a different style of rugby than what we are used to here.
“Over there, it’s more forward-dominated, which is good.
“You have got really big boys on that side, so the collisions and contact area is really, really hard.
“But, as forwards, it’s stuff that we live for and we enjoy that kind of stuff,” he said.
Peter Tanyanyiwa