Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE captain Hilton Mudariki said poor execution cost the Sables in their 40-0 defeat to South Africa A at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
South Africa A scored six unanswered tries through Yaqeen Ahmed, Markus Muller, Haashim Pead, Nico Steyn, Oman Khan and Jaco Williams. Ahmed added three conversions while Luan Giliomee kicked two.
Mudariki felt the result did not quite reflect what had transpired on the pitch in a game in which the Sables had their moments but lacked the killer instinct.
“We prepared well, and there were periods where we showed what we are capable of,” Mudariki said.
“But we weren’t consistent enough, and credit to the opposition, who executed their plans better than we did. At this level, small mistakes make a big difference, and we weren’t clinical enough when opportunities came our way.
“We also allowed the opposition to gain momentum during important periods of the match,” he said. Despite the deflating margin, statistics backed Mudariki’s argument.
This is because Zimbabwe had 58 percent possession and 59 percent territory, spending more time in South Africa A’s half.
But the Sables made only four entries into the 22, compared to 18 by the hosts.
South Africa A scored six tries from those entries, while Zimbabwe failed to convert any.
The Sables also won the scrum battle, 10 from 10, and forced more turnovers, 7-4.
They made 122 carries to South Africa A’s 119 and had six line breaks to their nine.
Where they fell short was in the red zone and ruck speed. South Africa A had 64 percent fast ball at 0-3 seconds compared to Zimbabwe’s 40 percent, allowing them to play off front-foot possession.
“Our execution under pressure wasn’t where it needs to be,” Mudariki said.
“We will look at improving consistency, sharpening execution and making better decisions in key moments before Nations Cup.”
Zimbabwe escaped injury concerns and remain confident ahead of the World Rugby Nations Cup in the United States next month.
“We will be looking at improving our consistency, sharpening our execution and making better decisions in key moments.
“The Nations Cup is around the corner, so it’s important that we learn from this match and continue building as a group,” Mudariki said.
Mudariki also reserved praise for his forwards, who actually outperformed their opponents as they put up quite the shift.
