Andrew
Online Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Goshawks have made nine additions to their 30-man squad for the Currie Cup First Division campaign in South Africa.
Coach Brendan Dawson roped in four players from the Young Sables, who are fresh from being crowned African Champions at the Barthes Trophy last weekend, while five more have come from his foreign-based contingent.
From the Young Sables, Brendon Marume, Tavonga Ablant, skipper Takudzwa Musingwini and his vice captain Tawanda Matipano have been called up.
The foreign-based contingent includes Gabriel Sipapate, Doug Juszczyk, Kyle Galloway, Marcus Nel and Riaan O’Neil.
The Goshawks resume their Currie Cup campaign when they take on Kenya’s Simbas on Saturday.
The duo of Marcus Nel and Ryan O’Neil will be immediately called into action as the two have made the starting line-up for the Kenya game, coming in at the fly-half and right-centre positions.
Sipapate, Marume and Juszczyk also made the match-day squad, albeit as replacements.
Dawson will be hoping the additional firepower could re-ignite their struggling campaign.
The Goshawks are yet to register a win at the tournament.
The team has suffered back-to-back losses in the opening two fixtures, going down 34-10 to Georgia in their first game and losing 48-5 to the Down Touch Griffons in their last outing.
More than just points will be on offer when the Goshawks and the Simbas clash on Saturday.
The game is the latest chapter in a budding rivalry between the nations, and both teams are using this tournament as the last leg of their preparations for the Rugby Africa Cup.
The teams are expected to travel to France for the Rugby Africa Cup tournament, which is also being used as qualifiers for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
They will be part of the eight-team knockout tournament that also includes Namibia, Senegal, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Ivory Coast.
Zimbabwe will begin the tournament with a date against Ivory Coast, with the winner meeting the victor of the clash between Namibia and Burkina Faso.
Kenya, on the other hand, begin their campaign with a date against Uganda, and the winner will meet the victor of the tie between Senegal and Algeria.
Online Reporter