This could be an old cliché but it surely sums up Zimbabwe senior rugby team’s performance at the Africa Cup qualifiers, which also served as qualifiers for the Victoria Cup in Uganda last weekend.
Coached by the Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge, the Sables beat Uganda 25-15 before hammering Madagascar 49 – 0 to gain promotion to Group 1A in the African Zone.
The victory came as a surprise to a nation that had become accustomed to being shortchanged by the Sables who are the country’s flagship.
Their first win against Uganda saw the country moving to position 42 from position 47 on the IRB ranking and a promotion to Group 1A which includes Morocco, Namibia, Tunisia and Kenya.
The four will compete to find a team that will be demoted to pave way for Zimbabwe in next year’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Sables’ victories come at a good time for them, having failed to rise on the grand stage losing all their games in the Victoria Cup last year, leading to a freefall in the rankings.
The Zimbabwe Sables have made two appearances at the World Cup in 1987 and 1991.
Before their departure from the Africa Cup qualifiers, the team had been hit by withdrawals of key players such as Grant Mitchell, Jacques Leitao and head coach Brandon Dawson owing to other commitments. However, in Uganda the Sables turned on the power with a polished performance which even surprised stand-in coach Mandenge.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“The boys played very well against Madagascar. I expected the boys to win but not on such a huge score line. We are now focusing on the next game against Kenya in the Victoria Cup in Bulawayo.
“It is good that the team has been boosted with the return of Mitchell and Leitao and the head coach Dawson who could not go to Uganda. We are also looking at adding two more players from the Under-20 team,” he said, adding that the team starts training today.
The two wins in Uganda saw Zimbabwe being promoted to Group 1A thereby becoming one of the top four sides on the continent.
“This is where we belong. We have to keep the momentum as we compete in Group 1A next year,” declared team manager Noddy Kanyangarara.
