By Delicious Mathuthu
Dubai- The Zimbabwe National Men’s Rugby team, the Sables, kicked off their Middle East-Asia tour in style, dominating the United Arab Emirates 62-22 at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium.
The Sables displayed a strong team play with outstanding performances from both backs and forwards as they broke the UAE defenses through the line and forwards capitalizing on mistakes by the hosts.
Outstanding was a hat-trick from Edward Sigauke and a brace from Sables captain Hilton Mudariki.
Zimbabwe set the tone early into the match with experienced fly-half, Ian Prior, opening the scoring with a penalty a few minutes into the game.
The Sables pack forced repeated infringements from the UAE, which led to a penalty in the 10th minute.
“Godfrey Muzanarwgo’s try, following a slick assist from debutant Munashe Mhere, further demonstrated Zimbabwe’s fluid attacking play.
“The Sables’ backs showed great chemistry, and Muzanarwgo’s direct running saw him bulldoze his way to the line,” Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s Media and Communications Manager, Jeffrey Murimbechi said.
Marking his 49th cap for the Sables, Captain Hilton Mudariki, was next on the scoreboard after powering over the UAE back line, which was not his last as he scored another well fought try to make his brace.
Showcasing his finishing ability, Edward Sigauke made it to the score board thrice, a demonstration of his pace, timing, and support play as the Zimbabwean backline cut through the UAE defense.
After several attempts to minimize the damage but the UAE, Trevor Gurwe finally broke through, with a sweeping move.
“Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, who had served a brief stint in the sin bin, capped off the scoring with a well-taken try late in the game, ensuring Zimbabwe’s complete dominance,” Murimbechi said.
After the match, Mudariki thanked supporters and acknowledged the performance and fitting in of Sable debutants.
“We are very grateful to the crowd that came to support us. We didn’t expect to feel like the home team, but the energy here was incredible.
“Things worked out very well for us today, especially with the new guys fitting in seamlessly. It was a fantastic all-round performance,” he said.
Murimbechi said the new faces in the Sables squad bring optimism in the future of Zimbabwe Rugby.
“The Sables’ clinical play and the impressive debut performances from several players point to a bright future for Zimbabwe rugby as they now turn their attention to their next test match in South Korea to cap off their Middle East-Asia tour, ” he said.
The Sables, led by coach Pieter Benade, departed Harare on November 2, 2024, for the Asia tour meant to build towards the 2027 World Cup qualification, see the test squad depth, and taste different opposition away from Africa.
Next the team travels to South Korea, on November 6 to 15, with a training camp in Seoul prior to a test match against the South Koreans on the 16th, before returning home on the 18th.
