Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (26) 36
Namibia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (14) 33
ZIMBABWE came out in full force to support their senior rugby team and, in turn, the Sables returned the favour with a gutsy 36-33 win over their neighbours, Namibia, at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
While the Zimbabwe Rugby Union failed to fill up the stadium, as was the target, it was still arguably one of the biggest crowds the Sables have played in front of in a long time.
And for the most part, the match lived up to the hype as the Sables and the Namibian Welwitschias wrote yet another enthralling chapter in their storied rivalry.
The Sables got on the scoreboard through tries from Liam Larkan, Darrell Makwasha, Aiden Burnett, Godfrey Muzanargwo and skipper Hilton Mudariki, while flyhalf David Hayes chipped in with four conversions and a penalty.
Namibia hit back with five tries of their own through a brace from hooker Edward Drotsky, Kyle Niel and Armand Combrink.
They were also awarded a penalty try while their flyhalf, Winks Tromp, chipped in with three conversions.
The match had all the hallmarks of a thriller as players from both sides left everything on the pitch, providing plenty of tries, much to the delight of the lively Zimbabwe home crowd, which cheered every try and action.
There were even a few tense moments on the pitch, with Zimbabwe seeing as many as two yellow cards as Dylan Utete and Godwin Mangenje were sent to the sin bin.
In the match, Zimbabwe rushed to an early lead with tries from Larkan, Burnett, Muzanargwo and Makwasha, while the visitors hit back through a brace from Drotsky to leave the scores at 24-14 at the break.
Unfortunately, the Sables failed to capitalise on their first-half display as they allowed Namibia to claw back and almost steal the win at the death during the second half. The Welwitschias were awarded a penalty try after the Sables conceded too many penalties in their own 22, after which Niel and Combrink added two more.
Luckily, the hosts hit back through a try from skipper Mudariki and a penalty from Hayes to ensure they got past the finishing line.
While not entirely satisfied, Sables head coach Pieter Benade was impressed with his side’s performance, noting that the match provided a good foundation for the Sables ahead of the Nations Cup.
“We saw a lot in broken play and I am happy our technique was pretty good,” he said. “There is a bit of work to do with the set-piece and probably set-piece defence.
“However, I am happy with the spirit the guys showed, so much positivity, especially looking at where we are headed. We need that character.
“We knew the Namibians were always going to come at us, challenge the scrum and mauls, but we managed to absorb the pressure and show our depth.”
Benade shone a light on the locally based contingent, who put up a good show in the Sables’ return to the National Sports Stadium for the first time in more than two decades.
“We were able to give a couple of local guys a run and I must say I am pleased,” he said.
“We are very happy to have been able to play in front of our home crowd after all these years and give them a win.”
Namibia coach Jerome Paarwater came into the match hell-bent on ticking his boxes as the Welwitschias have already started looking and preparing for the next World Cup cycle.
“I would just like to thank Zimbabwe Rugby for the opportunity because in Africa, it’s tough to get good games and based on performance and intensity, I hope we didn’t disappoint them today,” he said.
“Coming into this game, I know the Sables are quite dangerous and skilful, so, obviously, they would run with every ball and we just had to adjust with our sort of two-fold approach and just work around the corner quicker and press up harder.
“That helped a bit as we could stop the momentum and one thing that we said that’s non-negotiable are set-pieces, in the scrums and line-outs.
“That was our strong point in the second half and it worked, but in the first half, our defence let us down a bit.”
Having secured qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, their first appearance at the tournament since 1991, the Sables now face the challenge of translating that achievement into competitive performances against established opposition.
Zimbabwe’s last World Cup appearance in 1991 ended in the group stage after defeats to Ireland, Scotland and Japan. Their return to the tournament next year gives the current generation an opportunity to write a different chapter in the country’s rugby history.
