adminPetros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
LEGISLATOR and former fitness trainer Temba Mliswa has saluted Zimbabwe’s rugby team for their convincing win over hosts Madagascar at the ongoing 2015 World Cup qualifiers but warned that the real test of the Sables’ pedigree would come this afternoon when they face nemesis Namibia in Antananarivo.
Mliswa, a former rugby coach who also viciously fought against racism in the Zimbabwe Rugby Union, said the Sables’ 57-22 triumph over Madagascar in their opening match last Saturday had given the nation a lot of hope that the senior side could be on course to end a 23-year wait for a return to the World Cup stage.
The 2015 edition of the IRB Rugby World Cup will be staged in England.
But in the midst of the excitement that greeted the Sables’ opening win, Mliswa said Zimbabweans needed to be cautious and ensure that the Saturday’s result does not cloud the problems of inadequate preparations and lack of resources which the national team faced before flying out to Madagascar.
Mliswa, chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, said the extent to which Zimbabwean rugby had improved could only be measured by the manner in which the Sables will apply themselves against Namibia and Kenya who they face in their final qualifier.
Kenya also took a giant step towards qualifying for their first-ever Rugby World Cup with an impressive 29-22 victory over Namibia in the match that followed Zimbabwe’s clash against Madagascar in the opening round of CAR Rugby Division 1A matches in Antananarivo.
Zimbabwe have not featured at rugby’s showcase event since 1991, but were in blistering form against their opponents to steal an early lead on the log standings as their big victory guaranteed them a bonus point.
While Namibia and Madagascar have work to do if they are to secure qualification, with two rounds to go and the action both open and exciting, there is plenty of time to stake a claim.
The winner of the three-round tournament will join New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Georgia in Pool C at the Rugby World Cup finals, while the runners-up will face Russia for a place in the Repechage (play-off) final.
Mliswa, however, said it was imperative that the Sables show their mettle by clearing the Namibian and Kenyan hurdles and ensure they are not only left to celebrate a win over Madagascar whom he believes will be the tournament’s whipping boys.
“I would like to congratulate the Sables for winning their game. Any victory in any competition is worth being saluted but in this tournament I think the bigger picture to look at is that as we go forward the competition becomes tougher and we would also have to ask ourselves some tough questions like are we well-prepared for the tougher competition ahead, how well resourced are the Sables in order to overcome the bigger hurdles ahead?
“We have to check if we are ready to go all the way or if it is not another learning curve because we tend to forget a lot of fundamentals whenever there has been a win.
“Kenya have concentrated on their Sevens and have done better than us and we now need to show that we are strong in the XVs and we have to do well to show that distinction.
“So all I am saying is that we should not be too excited by beating Madagascar in as much as they should be congratulated for winning because our real test will come from Namibia, that will show us how much we have improved in our rugby because we rarely beat Namibia and it would be great to do that now.
“Madagascar might be a rugby-mad country but they are not strong enough as a team to warrant much of a headache for teams like Zimbabwe and Namibia,’’ Mliswa said.
A closer look at the Sables head-to-head record against the Namibians also proves that Mliswa is right in calling for caution instead of being swallowed in celebration over the manner in which we thumped the Indian Ocean islanders.
In 25 meetings between the two sides, the Sables have won only three times and lost the other 22 with their last triumph over Namibia, – a narrow 27-26 coming in Harare on July 7 2001.
In that era the Sables had such players like Victor Olonga, Karl Mudzamba, Brendon Dawson, who is now the coach, Elimon “Bedford’’ Chimbima and Bright Chivandire, now team manager.
Dawson’s men will now go into battle in Antananarivo today seeking to evoke the spirit of the classes of 1996, 1997 and 2001 who found a way to beat the Namibians, no matter how narrow the margins of victory were.
Victory today will also leave the Sables just one game away from a return to the grand stage, the World Cup platform, while a second-place finish at this tournament would mean another qualifying play-off against Russia.
Results and fixtures:
June 28
Namibia 22 – Kenya 29
Zimbabwe 57 – Madagascar 22
Today
Zimbabwe v Namibia
Kenya v Madagascar
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