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A man-of-the-match performance from fullback Brendon Mandivenga gave Zimbabwe a morale-boosting 35-17 win over Griquas in the opening game of the Golden Jubilee edition of the Under-18 Craven Week rugby festival at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium yesterday.
Zimbabwe came here on a mission to make it three out of three wins.
Mandivenga scored 20 of Zimbabwe’s points — a try, three conversions and three penalties.
Zimbabwe were also strong in defence, where captain and flanker Barend Moolman led from the front, and was well supported by a pack who were quick and good at the point of breakdown.
The backline was equally powerful though the centre pairing of Thomas Chadwick and Munyaradzi Mashaya seemed not to click especially in the early stages of the game.
Zimbabwe scored four tries, three of them converted, and three penalties as Jabulani Mutukwa scored a brace and Munyaradzi Mashaya added one.
Griquas responded through Dimitrio Tieties, who scored 12 points — a try, two conversions and a penalty with 55th minute scrumhalf substitute Gideon Bruwer weighing in with a touchdown.
The visitors went into the break with a 10-point lead as they were leading 13-3.
Midway through the second half Ivan Bawden received a yellow card that saw him out for 10 minutes and Zimbabwe struggled during his absence to concede 14 points during that time.
And when he returned, Zimbabwe found their rhythm once again to add another try through Mutukwa in the 66th minute.
Zimbabwe were ahead in the fourth minute when Mandivenga found the posts from a fairly easy position in the Griquas’ 22-metre box, slotting the ball home for a 3-0 lead, following an infringement on the ruck.
Eight minutes later, Zimbabwe doubled their lead with another Mandivenga penalty after winning the ball from a Griquas lineout before Zimbabwe were awarded a penalty opting to go for posts.
The Griquas reduced the deficit to 3-6 with a penalty after an eight phase play.
Zimbabwe were causing the Griquas a lot of problems and the South Africans lost six of their 10 lineouts.
Zimbabwe then went on a scoring spree and for the next 33 minutes they dominated play so much that they scored 24 unanswered points made up of three converted tries and a penalty before Bawden was punished for a professional foul on the try line.
And it was from this yellow card that Griquas scored their two second half tries.
Scorers:
Zimbabwe:
Tries: Brendon Mandivenga, Jabulani Mutukwa (2), Munyaradzi Mashaya
Conversions: Brendon Mandivenga (3)
Pens: Brendon Mandivenga (3)
Griquas:
Tries: Dimitrio Tieties, GM Bruwer
Conversions: Dimitrio Tieties (2)
Pen: Dimitrio Tieties
Teams
Zimbabwe 15-1: Brendon Mandivenga, Brandon Boshi, Thomas Chadwick, Munyaradzi Mashaya, Jabulani Mutukwa, Rukudzo Gona, Tinashe Gwisai, Ivan Bowden, Nicholas Burnett, Barend Moolman (captain), Philangezwi Mudambanuki, Tafadzwa Kufazvinei, Tapiwa Muringani, Alexander Zwart, Thabani Mujeni.
Griquas 15-1: Ryan de Wee, Leon Becker, Dimitrio Tieties, Luke Mason, Kat Mabaleng, Wentzel Matthys, Saint-Art Pergoa (Gideon Bruwer 55th minute), Jacques van Zyl, Nardus Bosman, BJ Muller, Nico Graaff, Thulani Njenje, Doctor Booysen, Daniel van Zyl, Obakeng Phollholo.
Referee: Lihan Pretorius
Assistants: Cwengile Jadezweni , Local
TMO: Johan Greeff
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