Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub, Zimbabwe 80-12 Botswana
ANOTHER day, another dominant display by the Sables.
That was the main takeaway at Harare Sports Club’s Machinery Exchange Stadium as the Sables powered to an emphatic victory over an ill-prepared Botswana side yesterday.
It was not a perfect display by any stretch of the imagination, as Sables coach Piet Benade noted, but it surely got the job done in this Zambezi Series rugby encounter.
“I think it was a little bit patchy,” said Benade.
“We certainly had the quality to put a lot of pressure on them for 80 minutes, but we let ourselves down during patches of the match.
“However, in the grand scheme of things, it was a positive outing, and I am glad we got the win,” he said.
Zimbabwe got their tries from Tadiwanashe Gwashu, Darrell Makwasha, a brace by Dion Khumalo and Tapiwa Malenga, Brian Makamure, Aiden Burnette, replacement Vuyiswa Mpofu and a hat-trick from France-based winger Shingi Katsvere.
Flyhalf Lenience Tambwera also had yet another good day in the office, precise with his boot and kicking in eight conversions, while Malenga chipped in with two.
Botswana spent periods of the match camped in their own half and could only plant two tries from centre, James Vambe and right winger, Lethogile Tsheko.
The visitors flyhalf and skipper Brendon Van Zyl, could convert just one of the tries.
The Vultures came to Zimbabwe ill-prepared after they only assembled three weeks ago and yesterday’s match was only their second of the year.
Prior to the match, coach Andrew Paxinos had expressed concern over their fitness levels.
The only difference was that the Vultures skipper promised a totally different ball game when the two teams meet again in the reverse fixture at the end of the month.
“Tough day out there, but I am really proud of the boys,” Van Zyl said.
“They put their bodies on the line for the full 80 minutes and you would be hard pressed to find one single player who didn’t give 100 percent. Credit, therefore, should go to Zimbabwe.
“They are a good outfit; they played clever rugby and took advantage of our mistakes at every turn.
“There is a lot to learn from today’s match (yesterday) as Zimbabwe set a really high level for us and the onus is now on us to respond.
“We are definitely going to bounce back, and we only get better playing such competitive rugby against sides like Zimbabwe.”
