The Sunday Mail
SABLES coach Brendon Dawson is this week expected to announce his squad for next month’s IRB Rugby World Cup qualifier away to Russia.
The Sables missed the automatic qualification ticket for the fiesta to be held in England next year after coming second at the Confederation of African rugby qualifying tournament in Madagascar a fortnight ago.
Now they will have to go through a longer route, starting with a date against the Russian Bears in the first round of the play offs on August 2.
The winner of the tie between Zimbabwe and Russia will go on to face the winner of the game between Uruguay and Hong Kong on a home and away basis for the remaining World Cup ticket.
Dawson disclosed that the Sables are eager to seal a place at the World Cup after coming agonisingly close in Madagascar.
“We are yet to finalise on who will be part of the team, training sessions and when and where the team will start the camp.
“That announcement should be made in the coming week,” he said.
According to the IRB website: “The one-off match — the first ever meeting between the two countries (Zimbabwe and Russia) — will take place on Saturday, August 2 and will be refereed by Nigel Owens of Wales, with fellow countrymen Sean Brickell and Wayne Davies appointed as assistant referees.
“Following the conclusion of the CAR Africa Cup, Zimbabwe are currently ranked 27th on the IRB World Rankings — seven places below the Bears, who have yet to taste victory since Raphael Saint-Andre replaced Kingsley Jones as head coach for the IRB Nations Cup in June.”
While the Sables will be attempting to strangle the Bears, Asian qualification runners-up Hong Kong will play the second team in South America, Uruguay, in Montevideo on the same day.
“A place in the two-leg Repechage final awaits the winner of both matches as the race to secure at place at England 2015 reaches its climax.
“The winner of the Repechage will join Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A of Rugby’s pinnacle tournament next year,” reports the IRB.
Zimbabwe’s build-up to the tie against Russia has been characterised by rising tensions within the local rugby fraternity.
Allegations of biased team selection, financial misappropriation and racism have been thrown around.
Sables players are also said to be unhappy at the Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s decision to cut their appearance fees.
Former Sables manager Losson Mtongwiza once claimed there was “institutional racism” in the ZRU, while former national team player Costa Dinha blamed flaws in team selection and lack of adequate preparations for the national team’s unrewarding outing in Madagascar.
