The Sunday Mail
Deputy Sports Editor
FOR the most part, the rugby rivalry that has existed among Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya has been rather civil and can best be characterised by mutual respect and the competitive spirit in which the sport should be played.
South Africa have cast such a huge shadow over the continent’s rugby landscape that they don’t take part in competitions such as the Rugby Africa Cup, Barthes Trophy and Sevens’ Africa Cup.
The trio of Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe have prioritised playing catch-up to South Africa.
Although the intensity of their rivalry is yet to match some of the big and often nasty bruising international duels such as the Springboks against the British Lions or the duel between England and Australia, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe have regularly served up interesting dishes of their own whenever they clash.
In the next seven days starting today, those on-pitch hostilities will be rekindled, albeit on two fronts.
First up will be the Barthes Trophy final, which will see Sean De Souza’s Young Sables go up against Namibia at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, this afternoon.
Namibia were the first team to book a place in the final, doing so courtesy of a 16-5 win over defending champions and hosts Kenya on Wednesday.
But, no sooner had they done so than the Namibians started talking up their opponents in today’s clash, as the Young Sables saw off Madagascar 32-3 in the other semi-final.
“Zimbabwe has been a rival for Namibia for the longest time, and we always contest for Africa whenever we meet.
“We have played them before and we will be ready for them come the final,” said Chrysander Botha, Namibia’s gaffer.
Unbeknown to him, the Zimbabwe camp was also rooting for them to win, and now De Souza and his men have their eyes set on the final.
“Yes, it is always good to root for the underdog (Namibia). They had the tough task of taking on the defending champions and hosts, and I am so happy for them. I know they are looking forward to playing us and will be on a high after that win,” he said.
The winner of today’s final will book a ticket to the Junior World Trophy, and De Souza believes Zimbabwe go into battle as underdogs due to their opponents’ superior ranking. The rivalry between Zimbabwe and Namibia is definitely something we can’t hide, and neither is their dominance over us something we can afford not to take into account.
“Because of our rankings, we are the underdogs in this final. We have, however, watched them play two fixtures already, and they played well in both games.
“They are looking strong, but we have reviewed those games and worked on strategies and tactics for the final. During our preparations for the Rugby Africa Under-20 Barthes Trophy, in the Nedbank Challenge Cup, we worked on a tactical approach for such eventualities,” added De Souza.
He is hoping his charges will carry on with the momentum they showed in the semi-final.
The Young Sables semi-final win did come with its own casualties, as vice captain Tawanda Matipano is suspended for the match after getting sent off during the latter stages of the game.
“That’s a blow for us.
“As vice captain, I am sure he regrets his actions for letting the rough play from Madagascar get the better of him.
“Fortunately for us, we did travel with 25 players and we have plans for these ‘what ifs’ eventualities. We will have full arsenal ready for the final, that I can assure you.”
Among those expected to watch today’s final is the Zimbabwe senior national team, who themselves have a date against Kenya later this week.
That match is a Currie Cup Division One tie in Cape Town on Saturday.
Although both sides are trading as Goshawks and Kenya Lions for the tournament, the tie could be a dress rehearsal of a potential clash at the 2023 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers in France in July.
Both teams are expected to travel to France for the Rugby Africa Cup, where they will be part of the eight-team tournament that also includes Namibia, Senegal, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Ivory Coast.
Zimbabwe begin the tournament with a date against Ivory Coast, with the winner meeting the victors of the clash between Namibia and Burkina Faso.
Kenya, on their part, face Uganda, and the winner will take on the victors of the showdown between Senegal and Algeria.
Both Kenya and Zimbabwe are using the Currie Cup as part of their final leg of preparations for the Rugby Africa Cup.
While the Goshawks have not had the best of starts, skipper Hilton Mudariki hopes a win over rivals Kenya on Saturday can give their Currie Cup ride the jump it has been lacking so far.
“Results haven’t really gone our way during the first two games, but there are a few positives that we have managed to get out of those ties.
“There is still quite a bit that we need to work on going forward,” said Mudariki.
“We have a short break now which we hope to use to see where we can improve.
“We now know the areas where we need to improve on as a team, as a squad and will definitely try to fix those things before our next game against Kenya,” he said.
“It’s definitely a massive game, as it is basically a Test match.
“I know we are not playing as the Sables, but this is Zimbabwe versus Kenya and it is a very important game for us …
“We want to see where we are at as a squad and judge ourselves to see if we are on the right track in terms of our preparations.
“We are definitely taking the match seriously and want to come out of the tie with a result.”
