Zimbabwe .... (16) 38
USA.................(14) 37
AN impressive performance saw the Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team secure a historic 38-37 victory over the USA in their final Pool A match of the 2023 World Rugby U20 Trophy at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday.
The win was the Junior Sables’ first at the World Rugby U20 Trophy since 2012 and saw them secure third spot in Pool A.
Junior Sables head coach Shaun De Souza, who made a host of changes to his squad which faced the US, was elated by the victory, which went a long way in atoning for the loses against Scotland and Uruguay earlier in the competition.
“We have never won against the US so it's a brilliant win, we will take it from here as we go to the next step, which is a fifth-place playoff on Sunday,” said Zimbabwe’s coach Shaun De Souza.
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Although USA appeared the more likely winners for much of the game, showcased dazzling kicking ability coupled with pace and great skill to win the match.
“There was a plan to that (fielding different players), I needed to get the guys that had not played any games in the tournament to get a run and give it their all in the first 40 (minutes) and just keep the scoreboard ticking,” said De Souza.
“Today we played a different style of game, it is something that we have in our arsenal. During our camp we had a kicking coach coming in and just working on our kicking and I think today it paid dividends.”
On Sunday the Young Sables will face either Hong Kong or hosts Kenya in the fifth-place playoffs match.