adminmomentum here at the Craven Week festival.
The Sables are in Madagascar for the Africa Cup where they take on the hosts in the opening game of the annual Confederation of Africa Rugby tournament and a win this afternoon will see them remain on course to win the title for the second consecutive year.
A defeat will put the Sables at risk of being relegated to Group 1B, which is not a World Cup-qualifying pool, and relegation here would mean that their 2015 London World Cup dream would come to a crashing end.
The Sables are, at least, aiming to remain in the prestigious Group 1A if they are to entertain any chances of making it to London in 2015 as the qualifiers will be held next year with the winner of the pool gaining automatic qualification.
Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa’s Under-18 side have already won one game here after Monday’s win over Griquas in the opening game of the Craven Week festival and they hope they will maintain the momentum.
The schools’ side started on the right footing with a convincing 35-17 win that boosted their morale ahead of their clash against Limpopo Blue Bulls this morning at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
And it is this kind of performance that they believe will take them home as they aim to win all their three games in this festival, hoping to equal or better the feat of the 2007 side that was unbeaten under the same coach.
With the amount of talent in the Under-18 side, Zimbabwe could pull yet another win against a side that beat them in the last two years, first an 81-7 thrashing in 2011 before they were handed a 21-68 beating last year in Port Elizabeth.
But since the unbeaten side of 2007, this year’s side is by far the best side that has come out of Zimbabwe’s schools system and hopes are high in camp given the experience, talent and team chemistry in the side led by Daniel Moolman.
While hopes are very high for the Under-18 side, it is sad and unfortunate that not the same can be said about the senior national side — the Sables — who were rocked by a player crisis at the 11th hour last week.
Thirteen players signed a petition against the team manager and the move backfired after they were chased out of camp and coach Brandon Dawson had to tour Madagascar with a depleted side for the crucial tournament.
The bigger part of the problem is that the backline is most likely to suffer the most given Madagascar’s style of play and it was at the last minute that Dawson had to call back into camp one of the “rebels” Kudakwashe Chiwanza.
Talented with pace and a big heart, the pint-sized winger would definitely add weight to the Zimbabwe attack.
Sevens’ captain Jacques Leitao was also handed the captain’s armband while a number of players will earn their first caps.
Leitao, a fine leader in the shorter version of the game, has led the Cheetahs in two Sevens World Cup tournaments, two Sevens Africa Cup and the Old Georgians captain is also expected to translate his success to the longer version of the game starting this afternoon.
Definitely, going into today’s battle, expecting Zimbabwe to retain the title would be too optimistic but they, at least, have to make sure they remain in the top three of the competition if they are to entertain any hopes of a World Cup appearance.
The 10 fringe players that Dawson took him with to Madagascar will surely want to prove that they have something to offer Zimbabwe as it is every players’ dream to play at the World Cup and their journey begins this afternoon.
Wins for both sides will give the nation something to smile about.
Not too bad for a sporting discipline with so much potential but that has had its fair share of challenges of late.
Online Reporter