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Grace Chingoma
Senior Sports Reporter
YOUNG Sables skipper Panashe Zuze says they are focused on qualifying for the World Trophy as they take on Tunisia today in the semi-finals of Barthes Trophy rugby tournament at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Zimbabwe national Under-20 rugby team got the ball rolling at the Barthes Trophy with a resounding 55-0 victory against Cote d’Ivoire last weekend.
But the competition moves a gear up for the defending champions today.
The scrum-half Zuze, who also featured at the tournament last year, is optimistic that they will pull through to the final today.
“The boys are very focused. Our eyes are on the prize.
“We are ready for whatever comes in our way. We are going to go there and put our bodies on the line.
“No matter what comes, the boys will give their 100 percent effort. We know the country is behind us and we want to make the people back home and the people who support us very proud,” said Zuze.
Zimbabwe edged Tunisia in last year’s edition on their way to the final.
A try from Tanaka GondoMukandi ensured that the Young Sables beat the North Africans by a point.
“Considering the history we have with them after playing them last year and winning by a close margin of only one point, we are excited, we are working hard.
“This year we want to prove a point and don’t want to win by such a close margin, especially after being behind. We want to score the whole way full throttle without any hiccups in our strides,” Zuze said.
The Young Sables have a number of players who were in the victorious squad that beat Namibia in the final last year at the same venue.
Zuze, his vice captains GondoMukandapi and Brendan Marume are some of the players that were in the team that showed great character to beat Namibia in last year’s final.
The captain wants to use that experience to their advantage.
“I was here last year, I am gaining experience with what the tournament is like and have an idea of how other teams play like their strengths and weaknesses. A coach can only make so many changes and how they play especially the blueprint. Most teams keep the same structure and how they play, so having that experience I guess helps us calm down and have an eye for what’s going on.
But there are also other people in the team who are playing for the first time as senior players as leaders, we have to help them calm down,” said Zuze.
Young Sables coach Shaun De Souza will make some changes to the team that played Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday.
The physiotherapist is assessing those that had slight niggles,” said De Souza.
Zimbabwe Starting line up
Happias Zhou. Bryan Chiang. Tadiwa Chinwada. Huntley Materson. Tanaka GondoMukandapi. Hagler Muchenji. Muzuva Gutu. Allan Mawunga. Panashe Zuze. Brendan Marume. Edward Sigauke. Alex Nyamunda. Dion Khumalo. Panashe Mugorogodi. Simbarashe Kanyangarara.
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