Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
TAKUDZWA MATSVIMBO’S first Barthes Trophy campaign ended with Kenya celebrating in Harare.
In his third and final campaign, the same opponents ended his title challenge with the Junior Sables, and the outgoing captain has looked first at his own role in the defeat.
After Zimbabwe’s 38-12 loss to Chipu in Uganda, Matsvimbo admitted that he had failed to prepare his younger teammates for the pressure they were about to face.
“I don’t think I did them justice,” he said.
Zimbabwe had travel problems before the match, but Matsvimbo did not hide behind them.
“We had a few problems with the travel, and when we came onto the field, the boys weren’t in the right space mentally,” he said.
“As captain, I didn’t quite get the boys ready for the challenge. I didn’t properly prepare them for how tough the opposition was going to be.
“You have to get the boys to visualise the amount of pressure they are going to be under, and I don’t think I did them justice.”
The defeat was Zimbabwe’s third in succession against Kenya in the competition.
Chipu won the 2024 final 28-13 in Harare before edging the Junior Sables 21-20 the following year.
This year’s 38-12 loss was the heaviest of the three and ended Zimbabwe’s hopes of reclaiming the title they won in 2022 and 2023.
For Matsvimbo, the sequence spans all three of his Junior Sables campaigns.
He made his debut in 2024 as Zimbabwe sought a third consecutive title on home soil.
Matsvimbo still regards that debut as one of the defining moments of his young career.
“I still think my debut and being part of the 2024 Junior Sables squad is one of my biggest moments in rugby,” he said.
“It opened my eyes to what Zimbabwe rugby is and what it can be.
“Although I was still very young, playing in that tournament made me realise what a good coaching staff and technical team can do for players.
“It can open doors and help you see the sport and the opportunities it can bring. Not many players have the privilege of being exposed to that level of rugby at such a young age.”
The pride of his debut and the pain of losing the final remain inseparable.
“It’s funny how I experienced a career high and low at the same time during that tournament,” he said.
“Getting my debut at a young age and then losing the tournament at home was crazy. Everyone expected us to win, but we lost in front of our fans, families and friends. Everybody was watching.”
Zimbabwe’s campaign did not end with the defeat by Kenya in Uganda.
They recovered to beat Tunisia 38-12 in the third-place play-off, securing bronze and retaining their place in the Performance Division.
Defeat would have relegated them under the tournament’s new two-tier format.
“I think going into the Tunisia game, the boys understood the assignment and we managed to handle the pressure,” Matsvimbo said.
“We had to calm our heads and play our game to the best of our abilities.
“We managed to display the type of rugby we had been working on since the beginning of the year.”
That response offered some consolation, but Matsvimbo leaves the Junior Sables without the third continental title he wanted.
His attention now turns to Stellenbosch University, where he has begun his first year and hopes to continue his development with Maties.
“I have started my first year at Stellenbosch University and will be playing for the Maties team,” he said.
“That will be my next step. I will be playing rugby in South Africa and trying to earn a contract with a club there.
“I want to build my career from there and, hopefully, come back and represent the country with the Sables.”
Before moving into the senior ranks, Matsvimbo leaves his teammates with a frank assessment of what prevented Zimbabwe from turning their talent into another title.
Lack of skill, he believes, was not the problem.
“I believe we had some of the most skilled players in the tournament,” he said.
“The problem is that we tend to let ourselves down.”
He added: “We have moments of individual brilliance and then rely too much on individuals to win us the game.
“If you have Ronaldo in your team, you are going to rely on Ronaldo to score. That is sport. But we have to play as a unit going forward.”
