Sables aim for big upset in Russia

Zimbabwe rugby national team, The Sables, in play offs for a World Cup spot.

BRENDON Dawson, the Zimbabwe national 15s rugby team coach will lead the Sables to Russia for next month’s International Rugby Board (IRB) World Cup qualifier with the scent of an upset in their flared nostrils. The Sables missed the automatic qualification ticket for the carnival to be held in England next year after coming second at the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) qualifying tournament in Madagascar three weeks ago.

Now they would have to go through a longer route, starting with a date against the Russian Bears — the first ever meeting between the two countries — in the first round of the play-offs on August 2. Dawson, who at the weekend named a 24-man squad to face Russia, told the Financial Gazette Sport that the Sables were in an ideal position to sneak in through the back door and snatch the spoils in a game that the Russian Bears are expected to win.

“Of course we are the underdogs because of our rankings and that we are playing away (Russia) but we are positive and do believe, we can beat them,” said Dawson.

“We are very excited about this game. The whole mindset of our team will have to change after what has been a hard slog for us in Madagascar. We don’t have the luxury of depth that the bigger unions have and most of our players have had to play every single game. But that’s all behind us now. We are in the play offs and the players are rejuvenated in spirit. Our approach is that we have nothing to lose but a huge amount to gain. The guys are talking about going to Russia and do something special and they take heart from the fact that we have done it before.”

The Zimbabwe national rugby team have competed at two World Cups, the first in 1987 and the second in 1991. The winner of the tie between Zimbabwe and Russia in this one-off match will go on to face the winner of the game between South American runners-up Uruguay and Asian qualifications runners-up Hong Kong on a home and away basis for the remaining World Cup ticket.

Uruguay and Hong Kong will play in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay on the same day. Whoever wins in the two legs final will join Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A of Rugby’s pinnacle tournament next year. Following the conclusion of the CAR Africa Cup, Zimbabwe are currently ranked 27th on the IRB World Rankings — seven places below the Bears, who have yet to taste victory since Raphael Saint-Andre replaced Kingsley Jones as head coach for the IRB Nations Cup in June.

Zimbabwe Sables
Joubert Pieter,Murray Keith, Kevin Nqindi, Jan Ferreira, Sanele Sibanda, Graeme Lawler, Jacques Leitao (vice captain), Lambert Groenewald, Hilton Mudariki, Guy Cronje, Stephan Hundudza, Riaan O’neill, Daniel Hondo (captain), Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Danny Robertson,LawrenceCleminson,Mathew Mandioma,Farari Mudariki, Takunda Chifokoyo,Fortune Chipendu,Kingsley Lang,Peter du Toit,Lenience Tambwera,Shayne Makombe.

newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw