BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZIMBABWE…….(47)101
BURKINA FASO……(3)3
THE Sables registered one of their biggest victories in Test rugby in recent memory after smashing 100 points past minnows Burkina Faso in their Rugby Africa Cup Pool D opener to get their bid to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup off to a flying start at Old Georgians Sports Club in Harare yesterday.
The win guarantees the Sables top position in Pool D ahead of the two teams’ second match at the same venue on Thursday.
In a scoreline resembling a cricket score, Zimbabwe ran in 16 unanswered tries with the quartet of wing Shingi Katsvere, prop Cleopas Kundiona, wing Matthew McNab and loose forward Aiden Burnett standing out after scoring two tries each.
Debutant flyhalf Keith Chiwara was impressive on his first start for the Sables, managing a try and converting eight out of 11 conversions, with replacement scrumhalf Dudley White-Sharpley slotting all four conversions he lined up for. The morale boosting dominant victory showed the impressive depth in the Sables squad after Zimbabwe fielded six uncapped players in the starting line up as the technical team infused some fringe players alongside seasoned players.
More importantly, it will give head coach Brendan Dawson and his charges a huge morale boost ahead of next year’s knockout stages of the Rugby Africa Cup which also doubles as the final qualifying phase for the global showpiece in France.
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After spending eight solid weeks in camp, the Sables were pumped up to finally play some competitive rugby and their hunger showed after putting up a dominant second half performance.
The Sables were simply unstoppable in the first half as they ran in eight unanswered tries against the rattled Burkina Faso side which only managed a penalty from flyhalf Kassoum Deme.
The fleet-footed wing Katsvere opened the floodgates with a sixth minute before flank Blithe Mavesere grounded Zimbabwe’s second try three minutes later.
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