The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE have their hopes of qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in tatters after a 45-36 loss to Kenya in their second Rugby Africa Gold Cup match played in Nairobi yesterday.
The Peter de Villiers-coached Sables recovered from being 33-17 down at half-time to lead the Kenyans 36-33 but they allowed the home team to steal victory in the last few minutes of the encounter.
Sables captain Denford Mutamangira who played his 50th Test for his country said while they had an opportunity to finish off their opponents, they allowed the Kenyans to run at them in the last 10 minutes of the match.
“We were caught off guard in the first half and we let them score too many tries in the first half and we were playing catch up rugby but still we managed to lead in the last 10 minutes we let them run at us, we could have finished them off but we couldn’t, credit to them they came back stronger in the last 10 minutes,’’ Mutamangira said in an televised post match interview.
In what was a brilliant display by the forwards, Mutamangira, hooker David Makanda, prop Farai Mudariki, loose forward Tapfuma Parirenyatwa, wing Matthew McNab scored the tries for the Sables while the Zimbabwe were also awarded a penalty try. Flyhalf Lenience Tambwera booted in two conversions.
Zimbabwe remain on just two points with three matches left in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup with their chances of making it to Japan next year hanging by a thread. Winners of the 2018 Rugby Africa Gold Cup will automatically book a ticket to Japan while the runners up also stand a chance of qualifying via the repêchage competition which is a playoff against teams that finish second in other continental qualifiers.
With Namibia, who played against Morocco later on yesterday looking to win the Gold Cup, Zimbabwe’s slim hopes remain on the repêchage if they win their last three matches. The Sables next travel to Tunisia to face the North Africans on Saturday, take on Namibia in Bulawayo on 4 August before they clash with Uganda away. — @Mdawini_29
