Sables hammered by Cheetahs

THE Sables were reminded of the amount of work to be done before their World Rugby Quadrangular Series opener against Brazil next week after losing 78-7 to a rampant Free State Cheetahs in a high profile warm-up game at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein Saturday.

Zimbabwe's senior national rugby side were using the match against the South African franchise as an opportunity to gain some competitive match fitness against top-notch professional opponents ahead of the upcoming four nation tournament which gets underway in Stellenbosch, South Africa next week.

The Sables put on a much better first-half performance as they stood toe to toe with their stronger opponents which was reflected in the 24-7 halftime scoreline.

However, the Cheetahs, who fielded two 15-man teams in the contact session match, were much stronger in the second half, exposing the huge gulf in quality between the two sides.

In a brief statement, Zimbabwe Rugby Union said the Sables had gained invaluable experience from the warm-up game.

"The experience was invaluable. We go back to the drawing board and self-reflect, looking forward to the week of preparation for Brazil," ZRU said.

Zimbabwe will face Brazil in their first match of the Quadrangular Series at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports next Sunday while Kenya tackle Namibia on that same day.

Winners of the two matches will meet in the final on November 20 with the losers also going up against each other in the third-place playoff.

African sides Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia are using the quadrangular series to prepare for next year's 2023 Rugby World Cup final qualifier to be held in France.