A top four finish was going to grant the Young Sables automatic entry into next years edition of the JWRT. Missing the spot will mean having to go through the qualifying tournaments again in 2012. Head coach Brighton Chivandire watched his boys succumb to a 19-50 defeat to the host nation, Georgia, 24-37 loss to finalists Japan and their final Pool B 23-49 defeat to Canada, which thwarted all hopes of a possible top five finish.
Captain Marco Mama, who was playing his last junior competition this year, was disappointed by their performance against Canada, insisting they could have done more. We are very disappointed. It was clear we were neither physically nor mentally prepared. Playing for seventh place is not a good result for us. I believe we can play better, he said.
In the previous edition of the showpiece, the Young Sables finished seventh after beating Papua New Guinea in the seventh-place play-off in Russia. Their best result in Pool matches was a 20-20 draw against Japan that followed a 6-22 defeat to Canada. The 2010 show hosts also beat the Young Sables 21-19.
4.6.2011
13:01
Young Sables mission impossible
HARARE - The Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby teams fancied dream of a top four finish in this years edition of the International Rugby Board Junior World Rugby Trophy suffered a heavy blow last week when they suffered they finished bottom on the Pool B log standings before engaging in a seventh-place play-off against USA yesterday.