Sables hang on

Zimbabwe Sables in action. Picture: AP

SABLES’ lock forward, Fortune Chipendu, is convinced that the Zimbabwe national 15s rugby team will navigate their make or break play off against a raucous Russia on Saturday in their quest to qualify for the 2015 rugby World Cup finals in England. Early this month, the Sables missed the automatic qualification ticket for next year’s finals after the spring in their step was dented by a defeat by a strong Namibian side, their old nemesis at the Confederation of African Rugby qualifying tournament in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Now they will attempt to qualify for the finals through the back door, a feat last achieved 23 years ago. The Zimbabwe national rugby team have competed at the 1987 and 1991 World Cups and if the Sables qualify for next year’s edition, this will take Zimbabwe to higher tiers of international rugby. Currently, the sport does not enjoy professional status, despite its numerous achievements, and the world cup will be a massive stride towards achieving that.

Chipendu, who replaced Schalk Ferreira in the squad, believes the Sables have what it takes to win the encounter against Russia on Saturday.
“Looking at the team, this is the best team Zimbabwe has ever produced and I believe we have what it takes to win this particular encounter. We are here to win this match, that’s the message from the coach and we intend to do just that. The team is ready and confident we will win this, everyone is looking forward to the game.”

The winner of the tie between the Sables and the Russian Bears -the first ever meeting between the two countries will go on to meet the winner between Uruguay and Hong Kong on a home and away basis for the remaining World Cup ticket.  Whoever wins in the two legs final play off will join Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A of Rugby’s pinnacle tournament next year.

Great lessons have to be learnt from the golden opportunity where the Sables could have gotten automatic qualification in Madagascar but it was a dream deferred thanks to managerial and technical decisions that made a ridicule of what our nation’s rugby is all about.  It came as no surprise when Tangai ‘2-Bad’ Nemadire and Gerald ‘Jedza’ Sibanda pulled out of the camp two weeks ago out of frustrations rising from disagreements between them and the team management.

Team management never made serious efforts to lure Nemadire, one of Zimbabwe’s try scoring machine and Sibanda back. Regardless of who is wrong or right between the two parties, Zimbabwe runs the risk of facing yet another embarrassment at the hands of Russian Bears because of internal squabbles.

Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s Director of Coaching Liam Middleton’s existence seems to cause divisions in the team as he has on many occasions applied his micro-managing methods to override coaching decisions on the field with his own. Sources within the team say that he made the call to take posts instead of taking a chance for maximum points which would have given Zimbabwe qualification in Madagascar.

Should he continue to dip his fingers into on-field strategies, then Zimbabwe will be at risk of another implosion. All Brendon Dawson and Cyprian Mandenge have to agree on is a suitable combination that can beat Russia. – Cathy Nyathi