Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18……………………………. (7) 14

Eastern Province Country Districts Under-18……….........(24) 34

Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18…………………………….. (38) 64

Border Country Districts Under-18 ………………………….. (8) 15

POOR ball handling skills saw the Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18 suffer their second defeat at the Coca-Cola Craven Week at St Stithians College on Thursday, on a day when their Academy Week counterparts thumped Border Country Districts for their first ever win at the tournament where they are making their debut. 

Zimbabwe, who play Namibia in their last match at the Craven Week on Saturday dominated the second half against EP CD and could have won the match only for ball handling errors to cost them some crucial points.

EP CD scored six tries, two conversions while Zimbabwe managed two tries which were both converted

Scott Gray, the Junior Sables coach felt that his lads did not put in the best display that they are capable of delivering. He put down the defeat to mistakes by his players and missed tackles.

“Unfortunately I don’t feel we put in the best performance that the team is capable of, too many individual errors and too many missed tackles kind of gave the Eastern Province the possession to put points on the board,’’ said Gray.

On their display in the second half, when they were the better team, Gray reckoned that it was his own players who stopped themselves from getting some points.

“In the second half, we were able to get our fair share of possession, we have got some exciting attacking players with a great attacking ability, when we have the ball in hand we do look like we can score points, unfortunately we were the ones who stopped ourselves from scoring points today,’’ he said.

The areas in which EP CD were better according to Gray was the collision area where they contested hard and managed to turn over possession, something the Zimbabwean players could not keep up with.

“Physically at the breakdown, I think they won the physical battle at the breakdown, that's my fist impression, they contested very hard at the breakdown, it was obviously hard for us to maintain the possession, we got turned over a couple of times,’’ Gray say.

EP CD showed their intention to win two minutes into the match when inside centre Jack Allanson scored the first try on the right corner, Murray Koster’s conversion kick fell short of the posts

First centre Mazvita Nyamarebvu gave Zimbabwe their first try going over from a scrum, the conversion booted in by Leroy Kagodora for a 7-5 lead.

It did not take time for EP CD to be back in front again, Allanson planting the ball over the line but Koster’s conversion kick was again short of the posts. EP CD soon had their third try, Johannes Lombard finding the gap in the Zimbabwean defence, Nevaldo Fleurs making sure with the two extra points from a successful conversion. The boys from Eastern Cape had their fourth try just before the break through Matthew Robertson, Fleurs adding the extras with a successful conversion. 

EP CD notched up their fifth try son after the restart, lock Jason Brown the scorer but Fleurs’s boots let him down as he missed the conversion.

Nyamarebvu proved his worth once again with his second try of the match, Kagodora booting in the conversion.

From there, Zimbabwe were the better side but their ball handling skills let them down as they knocked the ball on whenever they tried to launch an attack.

Claude Jacobs finished things off for EP CD just before the end, with the conversion missed by Fleurs.

The Zimbabwe Academy Week team, beaten 62-14 by Golden Lions XV in their opening fixture on Tuesday were outstanding against Border CD. Wing Siampunga Sindaza scored two tries to pick up the man of the match award. They also play their last match at the Academy Week on Saturday with Namibia likely to be their opponents.

Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18 Craven Week against EP CD

Cody Rensburg, Marcus Nicole, Kudakwashe Mashonga, Dexter Trail, Prince Mupfurutsa, Jack Charsley(captain), Ronald Mirimi, Simbarashe Chingono, Michael Mhute, Leroy Kagodora, Lebukgang Mokuele, Mazvitaishe Nyamarebvu (vice-captain), Tadiwa Muchemwa, Lameck Vheriwa, Tapiwa Marimira

Replacements: Tadiwanashe Mabhudhu, Brendan Mudzikitiri, Rivaldo Kwidini, Ryan Smith, Davin King, Dillon Brain, Tinashe Hombiro

Coach: Scott Gray

Assistant coach: Cleopas Makotose

Team manager: Shaun De Souza

Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18 Academy Week against Border CD

Takunda Magondo, Brian Chakoma, Brendon Sibanda, Alce Melo, James Owuru, Matthew Owuru, Sean Mupanemunda (captain), Louis Du Plessis, Joshua Allardice, Anesu Haki, Takudzwa Siyawamwaya, Takunda Machaya, Edwin Mutseyekwa, Siampunga Sindaza, Taine Roelofsz

Replacements: Adrian Zivanai, Kundai Mashingaidze, Thokozani Mrewa, Takudzwa Mutukumira, Nigel Tinarwo, Innocent Mpariwa, Sean Maenzanise

Coach: Basil Dingiswayo

Assistant coach: Tatenda Museba

Team manager: Simbarashe Dangah

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