The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda , Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE national sevens rugby team coach, Gilbert Nyamutsamba feels that there was no way the Cheetahs could have avoided being in a tough group for Dubai leg of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series.
The Cheetahs were drawn to play against last season’s champions South Africa, Argentina and Samoa. Matches will take place at Sevens Stadium in Dubai on 30 November and 1 December.
From Dubai, the Cheetahs will head off to Cape Town for the South Africa leg of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series to be played on 8 and 9 December.
Suggestions are that the Cheetahs face South Africa in their opening match at the Dubai Sevens in what is certain to be a tough encounter for Zimbabwean considering that the Neil Powell coached Blitzbokke won the 2017/18 World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series ahead of Fiji and New Zealand.
Nyamutsamba believes that with the Cheetahs being the 16th team in Dubai, they were never going to get a favourable draw.
It will be the first time since 2011 that the Cheetahs are playing in the Dubai Sevens, which this year mark the beginning of the 2018/19 season.
“Either way we were going to be in a group with, current World Series champions, South Africa or Olympic gold medalist Fiji, or World Cup champions New Zealand or England runners up World Cup. It is as expected and it’s what we need, to go against the world’s best,’’ Nyamutsamba said.
He is expecting a tough outing for his lads in the United Arab Emirates but feels there is no other way for them to get to where they want to be.
“We will get clapped, get beaten, but most importantly get up and live to fight another day, it’s the only way we can get to where we want to be,’’ he said.
Nyamutsamba’s plans are to have the Cheetahs get into camp in Harare on 19 November with 18 players in camp with only 12 to make the trip to UAE.
Despite poor preparations, the Gilbert Nyamutsamba-coached Cheetahs were recently crowned Africa Cup Sevens champions in Tunisia with a 17-5 triumph over Kenya in the final.
The win made sure that Zimbabwe will play in the Dubai, Cape Town and Hong Kong Sevens.
In Hong Kong, the Cheetahs have an opportunity to become a Sevens World Series core member when they take part in Qualifier.
In April this year, the Cheetahs finished third in their pool at the Hong Kong Qualifier with a 17-10 triumph over Papua New Guinea being their only victory.
They were beaten 27-7 by Germany and went down 19-14 to Hong Kong to end any hopes of becoming a full member, which comes with benefits of playing in all the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series tournaments.
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