Zimbabwe in one-sided win
Zimbabwe beat Border Country Districts 41-0 on the fourth day of Craven Week action, but the difference between the two sides was even greater than that. It was the most one-sided match at Craven Week up till then.
Border Country Districts had the strong wind behind them in the first half but Zimbabwe ended the half leading 8-0. That means that the visitors scored 33 points in the second half.
The outstanding player on the field was the Zimbabwe eighthman Justin Coles. He made the first telling run of the match and he scored the last try with great following up when Border Country Districts had their best passage of play in the match.
Border Country Districts were not helped by two yellow cards for foul play.
Charles Jiji scored first with a penalty and then Zimbabwe ran decoys to produce an overlap for Andrew Lindsay who went in and out to beat a defender and score. 8-0 after 18 minutes.
Zimbabwe attacked and twice tapped close in but the Border Country Districts scrambled well on defence.
Zimbabwe camped in Border Country Districts territory for all but the last seconds of the second half.
From a scrum Duncan Dollar played to Coles who used nifty footwork to score next to the posts. Jiji converted. 15-0.
Zimbabwe came back to the line and David Watson powered over in the tackle. 20-0 after 43 minutes.
Coles had a long run, Border Country Districts lost a second player to the sin bin and Zimbabwe mauled a five-metre line-out till suddenly Luke Rutter broke from it, handed off two defenders and scored a try which Jiji converted. 27-0.
Zimbabwe mauled over the line but the referee decided the ball had been held up. This produced a five-metre scrum with seven players in each scrum. Duncan Dollar played to Coles who burst over. 34-0.
At the end and after the siren had sounded Border Country Districts had by far their best passage of play as they ran hard, went through many phases with quick ball, and then disaster struck. They had played so well with ball in hand and then grubbered it away. Jiji hoofed the ball downfield into empty spaces as the Border Country Districts were committed to attack. Jiji got first to the ball, picked it up well and when he was tackled popped it to Coles who was following up and the eighthman scored. Jiji converted and the mismatch was over.
Scorers:
For Zimbabwe:
Tries: Lindsay, Duncan Dollar, Watson, Rutter, Coles 2
Cons: Jiji 3
Pens: Jiji
Teams
Border Country Districts: 1 Abonga Makapela (Nomahea), 2 Sphathise Nyanda (Jamangile), 3 Sibabalwe Manqana (Holy Cross), 4 Msawenkosi Tungela (Mthawelanga), 5 Chumani Dalasile (Dudmayo), 6 Thuso Chalatsi (Jamangile), 7 Loyiso Tshaka (Nomahea), 8 Sihle Dumalisile (St John’s), 9 Zalisekile Nobanda (CHB), 10 Tulani Ntenteni (JS Skenjana), 11 Aphiwe Makala (Dalibaso) (captain), 12 Siyamthanda Mbanga (Nomahea), 13 Athenkosi Mbongwe (Zimele), 14 Odwa Vakubi (Zingisa), 15 Ramone Greeves (King Edward High), 16 Odwa Fokazi (Ngangelizwe), 17 Ntlahla Rala, 18 Andile Malusi (Maclear), 19 Xola Makalima (Nomahea), 20 Lonwabo Makunga (Sibpukama), 21 Mpumzi Rozani, 22 Luzuko Mkhiwani (Dudumaso).
NB. Numbers do not relate to playing positions. For example 15 is a prop and 17 a centre. But they are the numbers the players wear.
Zimbabwe: 15 Andrew Lindsay (St John’s), 14 Claude Bare (Prince Edward), 13 Daniel Turner (Peterhouse), 12 Allen Mpofu (Prince Edward), 11 Tererai Nyabonda (Peterhouse), 10 Corry van Rensburg (Falcon), 9 Charles Jiji (Prince Edward), 8 Justin Coles (St John’s), 7 Farai Jijita (Prince Edward), 6 Richard Todd (St John’s), 5 Takudzwa Jaravaza (St George’s), 4 Ryan Zeederberg (Peterhouse), 3 Richard Sainsbury (St John’s), 2 Takudzwa Mandiwanza (captain, Peterhouse), 1 Zerubabel Makomva (St George’s), 16 Craig Dollar (St John’s), 17 Ian Muza (Prince Edward), 18 Luke Rutter (Lomagundi), 19 Killian Denes (Peterhouse), 20 Duncan Dollar (Peterhouse), 21 Joseph Nicholls (St George’s), 22 Tom Nelson (Peterhouse),
Referee: Mtheleni Mseleni
