Sports Reporter
NAMIBIA managed to take the lead against Zimbabwe in the first minutes of the Rugby Africa Cup match with a penalty in the 3rd minute. The match was played at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda. However, it was the Sables who crossed the try line first with a pinpoint cross-kick from fly-half Ian Prior to his right wing for an easy try. Prior also converted for the 7 – 3 lead, 19 minutes in. Two minutes later, the Sables’ outside centre got a favourable bounce from a brilliant kick for space from the left winger to stretch the lead to 14.
Namibia was put under pressure by the Sables’ kicking game throughout the first half and could not capitalize on the chances they did get. With three missed penalty opportunities for Namibia, the halftime score stood at Zimbabwe 14, Namibia 3.
The second half saw the Sables keeping up the pressure, putting up the first points of the second half for a 19 – 3 lead. Zimbabwe struck hard in the 57th minute with a try under the uprights, and the conversion took the score to 26 – 3 for the Sables. In the 63rd minute, a gigantic penalty kick flew over the crossbar for the Sables to stretch the scoreline yet again to 29 – 3. Zimbabwe put over another penalty in the 73rd minute, bringing the score to 32 – 3. In the final minutes of the match, Namibia scored a try and conversion bringing the score to 32 – 10. Namibia could not recover from that, and the reigning African champs bowed out of the competition.
