Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
IAN PRIOR was more than 10 000 kilometres away in Australia when the Sables faced South Africa A at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last weekend.
Yet, as Zimbabwe walked out onto the field and the national anthem rang around the stadium, the veteran flyhalf admits he found himself fighting back tears. It was also a reminder of how his own role within the Sables has changed.
The 35-year-old now returns as one of the squad’s senior leaders ahead of next month’s World Rugby Nations Cup.
“It is a pretty cool moment to reflect on now,” said Prior.
“When I saw the team walk out at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the national anthem being sung, I was super proud . . . to witness all that online was a super cool and surreal moment for me. What this group of players has done for Zimbabwe rugby and to get it where it is now is really awesome.”
The occasion ended in disappointment on the scoreboard as the Sables went down 40-0 to a strong South Africa A side.
However, Prior believes the match offered valuable lessons as Zimbabwe prepare to test themselves against some of the world’s strongest rugby nations.
“In terms of performance, I think there was a little bit of rust there, and there are a lot of positives we can take from that match,” he said.
“We challenged a really good South Africa team. They are the number one nation in the world for a reason.
“We created some good opportunities that we unfortunately failed to convert.”
Prior speaks less like a player protecting his place and more like one helping shape the next generation.
“It’s all about sharing knowledge, earning my keep and not competing for the jersey for me,” he said.
“Whoever gets the jersey gets the jersey. It is for the others to support that player.
“What do you need in preparation? What do you need from us? Do you need pictures? Do you need help with certain aspects of your skills?
“These are all questions we will ask the person that has earned the right to wear that jersey for the week.
“And it’s our job as the players outside to help that person prepare.”
It is an attitude that reflects the balance within Pieter Benade’s squad, where experienced internationals and emerging talent continue to push each other while pursuing the same objective. Prior rejoins the squad for the Nations Cup in the United States, where Zimbabwe will face Tonga, the US and Canada over the next three weeks.
For Prior, the Nations Cup is less about results than measuring Zimbabwe’s progress against higher-quality opposition.
“Obviously, we have played a lot of African nations in the last couple of years, outside South Korea and the UAE (United Arab Emirates), so the chance for us to test ourselves against quality opposition and play back-to-back weeks of high-quality rugby is something we are all looking forward to,” he said.
“Personally, I’m super-excited about that. “The tournament will be a good measure to see where we are.
“Also, we have got Tonga in the World Cup pool as well, so it’s a good measuring stick to see where we are against them as a group,” said Prior.
“Beyond that, we are going to go there and, just like most rugby players, enjoy being on tour. Being a rugby player doesn’t last forever.”
