By Daniel Nhakaniso
Zimbabwe rugby team star Tapiwa Mafura lauded his teamates’ composure in their memorable Rugby Africa Cup semi-final victory against Namibia on Wednesday to book their place in Sunday’s final against Algeria and stay in the race to secure only their second continental title.
The Sables delivered a clinical performance to beat their perennial nemesis Namibia 32-10 in Kampala.
The win ended a 23-year winless run in Test rugby against their Southern African rivals.
Prior to Wednesday’s encounter Namibia had won 30 of their 33 encounters, at an average points aggregate of 37-20 per match.
Despite not being given a chance ahead of the game, the Sables produced a phenomenal team display to outplay their much fancied opponents.
It was a masterclass in game management for all but a brief period towards the end of the second half when Namibia enjoyed some ascendancy before scoring their solitary try.
Man-of-the-match Tapiwa Mafura, who was yet again in phenomenal form after setting up a try and scoring another, praised his teammates for maintaining their composure throughout the contest.
“We had a very good start, we knew we needed to start well and needed to be accurate in everything we do, at set pieces and just in the way we manage the game.
“I think we were so composed compared to the way we usually play against Namibia. We are usually not as composed and we make mistakes and that’s the downfall we usually have against Namibia but I’m so proud of the boys for the way we played today,” an elated Mafura said after the match.
Mafura said Wednesday’s victory against the Namibians will live long in the memory of the players.
He also reserved special praise for the coaching department headed by Piet Benade for the sterling work they’ve done to prepare the team for the ongoing continental competition.
“Its amazing making history, we’ve not beaten Namibia in 23 years. I think this is a day we are going to remember for a very long time. I think the hard work the guys have been putting in for the past few months.
Mafura added: “We’ve had a great couple of coaches come in and they’ve honestly lifted the standard of the team and you can just tell in the way we played today so credit to them. There are so many people behind the scenes that have made this happen, it wasn’t just an overnight thing so thank you very much to each and every individuals that have helped the team to get where they are today.”