adminMbachi Mutukula-Maregere Sports Reporter
ENGLAND-based player Andrew Rose has been appointed as the stand-in captain of the Sables for their match against Kenya at the Tri-Nations Rugby Series set for this evening at Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia. Rose will lead the team in the absence of their skipper Daniel Hondo who sustained a head injury in the match against Namibia last Friday.
Vice-captain Jacques Leitao will also miss tonight’s match because of a boil on his arm. Flyhalf Lenience Tambwera will be the vice-captain as Zimbabwe seeks to bounce back following their defeat to Namibia in the first game.
But Kenya boasts of a good record against the Sables although the Zimbabweans believe they have a fine chance of winning the match.
Sables team manager Losson Mtongwiza said the doctor advised them that Hondo suffered a concussion and Leitao has a sore arm.
“Hondo and Leitao are both unfit and they are not going to play in our evening match but we still have some good players.
“It is important that we win this match. It is critical that we prove to them that we are now better than what we were when they beat us in Madagascar.
“Our chances are very good against Kenya. We have a strong team and we have 14 players coming from the team of 24 who did not play Kenya last year so we have a good chance of upsetting them,” said Mtongwiza.
Rose, who plays as a flanker, now takes over as the leader for the battle against the Kenyans hoping to give his team a victory they need to cheer their spirits after the depression that followed their 26-35 defeat at the hands of the hosts last Friday.
Sables flanker, Fortune Chipendo, believes his side has a good chance of winning the match against the East Africans.
“We are looking for a win and I believe we have the potential.
We are aiming for it. Although we are going to miss some of our players, who are not playing this match, we are still a strong squad,” said Chipendo.
“Kenya are equally strong and beating them might be tricky but we are going for it. Looking at the structure that we had yesterday at both our morning and evening training sessions, I think we can win.
“The players were very focused.
“Hondo and Leitao will be missed, especially by me.
The two are my inspiration, we are going to do our very best to get a win. This will be our chance since Kenya beat us last year and if we win, we will be very happy.”
Sables Squad
Jan Ferreira, Michael Passaportis, MartinWolfenden, Kingsley Lang, , Andrew Rose, Fortune Chipendo, Hilton Mudariki, Phillimon Machisa, Boyd Rouse, Linience Tambwera, Tichafara Makwanya, Sean Moan, Steven Hunduza, Gardner Nechironga, Lungile Tshuma, Tangai Nemadire, Nick Winwood, Pieter Joubert, Kevin Nqindi, Fidel Nyabusha, Keith Murray, Royal Mwale.
Coach: Brendon Dawson
Asssitant Coach: Cyprian Mandenge
Manager: Losson Mtongwiza
Physiotherapist: Abigail Mnikwa
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