GRIQUAS COUNTRY DISTRICTS (14) 26 ZIMBABWE UNDER-18 (20) 20
DANIEL NHAKANISO IN MIDDLEBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
ZIMBABWE’S Under-18 rugby team were denied their first win at the ongoing Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week as Griquas Country Districts snatched a dramatic victory at Middleburg Technical High School yesterday morning.
Tries from skipper Stephen Bhasera, Daniel Nyamugama and Brian Mutanga in addition to a penalty and a conversion by Sean Snyder put the Young Sables in control.
After a strong first half display, the Old Mutual Young Sables let their guard down in the second half and were duly punished as Griquas scored 12 unanswered tries including one right at the death to snatch a deserved victory. It was a second consecutive defeat for the Young Sables, who went down 54-41 to Eastern Province Country Districts in their first match on Monday.
However while in the first match they went down with a fighting performance, it was a complete contrast yesterday as they started well before struggling horribly in the end.
A strong start to the match saw the Old Mutual Young Sables opening their account after just three minutes before eighthman Nyamugama in the second try five minutes later.
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After missing two early conversions center Shaun Snyder made amends when he slotted home a close range penalty to give Zimbabwe a 13-0 lead.
Griquas lock Cobus Wiese reduced the deficit for his team with a converted try in the 21st minute but Zimbabwe maintained their 13-point lead when flank Brian Muntanga ran in the third try in the 29th minute. Snyder easily converted to give Zimbabwe a 20-7 lead.
After playing second fiddle to Zimbabwe for the bigger part of the first half Griquas took the game to their opponents and were rewarded with their second try just before the break.
Flyhalf Coennie Lamprecht reached out for the try line to finish off a flowing move before slotting home the conversion to take the score to 20-14 at the break.
Griquas came from the breather all guns blazing and were rewarded when Dillon Magerman planted his team’s third try after three minutes. Lamprecht failed to convert the try and Zimbabwe held onto a 20-19 lead.
With Zimbabwe struggling to maintain possession of the ball Griquas CD kept applying the pressure and could have taken the lead had they not missed three attempts at goal, allowing the Young Sables to hold on to their slender lead. After holding firm in defence Zimbabwe could have wrapped up the game in the 63rd minute when Nyamugama made a surging run down the left side of the field.
After a brilliant offload fullback Tarisai Mapfumo continued the attack, but unfortunately, Tawanda Ngosi couldn’t hold onto the pass and the chance came to nothing. Zimbabwe were made to pay for the missed chance as Griquas CD, with just two minutes left on the clock scored the winning try through Denvill Joseph.
Lamprecht slotted his third conversion of the game right before full time to hand the CD side a 26-20 victory.
Scorers: For Zimbabwe: Tries: S Bhasera, D Nyamugama, B Mutanga Conversion: S Snyder Penalty: Snyder For Griquas CD: Tries: C Wiese, C Lamprecht, D Magerman, D Joseph Conversions: C Lamprecht 3
