By Marshall Bwanya
HARARE — Zimbabwe’s Sables survived a nerve-shredding late fightback from Namibia to snatch a 36-33 victory at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday.
The hosts looked to be cruising after storming into a 26-14 half-time lead, but the Welwitschias roared back to turn the international friendly into a nail-biting finish.
Liam Larkan, Darrell Makwasha, Aiden Burnett and Godfrey Muzanargwo crossed for first-half tries as the Sables unleashed an attacking barrage in front of a lively home crowd.
Namibia hooker Edward Drotsky struck twice to keep the visitors in the contest, before Kyle Niel and Armand Combrink added further tries in a second-half onslaught.
A penalty try also helped the visitors pile on the pressure.
Zimbabwe’s discipline came under scrutiny, with Dylan Utete and Godwin Mangenje both sent to the sin bin, leaving the hosts vulnerable as Namibia threatened to snatch victory at the death.
But captain Hilton Mudariki stepped up with a crucial try, while fly-half David Hayes added four conversions and a penalty to help the Sables cling on for a hard-fought three-point triumph.
The victory extends Zimbabwe’s winning streak against their southern African rivals to three matches, marking a significant turnaround after years of Namibian dominance.
Sables coach Pieter Benade praised his players’ fighting spirit but admitted there was still work to do, particularly in the set pieces and defensive organisation.
“We need that character,” he said, highlighting the positives from the performance as Zimbabwe continue preparations for upcoming international assignments.
Benade also welcomed the opportunity to field locally based players and give supporters a long-awaited chance to watch the national team at the refurbished stadium, where the crowd provided a spirited backdrop to the contest.
Namibia coach Jerome Paarwater acknowledged his side’s improved second-half display, particularly in the scrums and lineouts, but conceded their first-half defence had let them down.
The Sables’ victory delivers a timely confidenceboost, although their late loss of defensive controlwill serve as a warning that tougher tests lie ahead.
