OLD Mutual Under-18 Young Sables coach Goodwin Murambiwa is targeting a win in his team’s first match at next week’s Coca-Cola Under-18 Craven Week rugby festival in Middelburg, South Africa.
DANIEL NHAKANISO
The young Zimbabwe side which goes into camp tonight will face off against Eastern Province Country Districts in their first match of the tournament at Middelburg THS on Monday.
With the team’s next two opponents determined by seeding after the first day of the tournament, Murambiwa said it was crucial to get their campaign off to a positive start.
“We always target to win the first game and that’s what we are focusing on. This year’s team has got some very big boys and this is very important at Craven Week level,” Murambiwa told NewsDay Sport in an interview yesterday.
While Murambiwa was happy with the big size of the players in the current team, he said he was worried by their lack of experience.
Only three players — skipper Stephen Bhasera, loose forward Tinashe Gonese and wing Tawanda Ngosi — were part of last year’s squad while the rest will be making their debut at the competition.
“We only have three boys that played last year so it’s basically a young team. When we did well last year, we had about six players who had previous Craven Week experience,” Murambiwa whose charges take on the national Under-19 team in a practice match this afternoon said.
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“This is the main reason why we will be playing the Under-19 side because we are looking for a side that will challenge us. We need to work on our defence. You might be a free-scoring side, but when you don’t have a strong defence, you will struggle against the South African teams.”
The Old Mutual Under-18 Young Sables gave a very good account of themselves at the Craven Week in Polokwane last year, acquitting themselves well against all their opponents.
Led by mercurial fullback Brendon Mandivenga, the team managed wins over Griquas and Limpopo before going down to Namibia on the final day.
Zimbabwe Under-18 Craven Week squad: 15 Sean Snyder (Falcon), 14 Tarisai Mapfumo (St George’s), 13 Tapiwa Mazorodze (St George’s), 12 Matt Ushewokunze (Falcon), 11 Brian Mhuriyengwe (Falcon), 10 Angus Bruce (St George’s), 9 Campbell Nyakudya (Kyle College), 8 Daniel Nyamugama (St George’s), 7 Cobe Bond (St John’s), 6 Tinashe Gonese (Hillcrest), 5 Elijah Snyman (St John’s), 4 Mangenji Godwin (Prince Edward), 3 Bhasera Stephen (Falcon), 2 Lebogang Ngwenya (St George’s), 1 Justin Mendelsohn (CBC Bulawayo).
Replacements: 16 Brian Mutanga (Falcon), 17 Kumbirai Ndaba (Prince Edward), 18 Bradley Crause (St John’s), 19 Geoff Tanatswa (Prince Edward), 20 Ngoni Zinyama (St John’s), 21 Dean McRoberts (Peterhouse), 22 Tawana Ngosi (MCC).
