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A RELIEVED MAN . . . Mutare Sports Club rugby coach Mackenzie Munetsi says his team’s break from competition came at the right time

Ray Bande Mutare Bureau
MUTARE Sports Club coach Mckenzie Munetsi thinks his team’s inactivity in the Intercity League for the past three weeks could not have come at a better time as it gave a number of injured players time to recover and be ready to maintain their fine run this season.

High-ridding Mutare Sports Club, who face Old Miltonians in their next league encounter, have been inactive as other teams played their games in hand.

Centre Exavier Kwenda is nursing a knee injury suffered during the recent ZITISU Games, while captain Gideon Muyambo suffered a similar injury in the club’s last match against Old Georgians in Harare.

Flanker Blessing Chizaza, Casper Bande and lock Linton Kusena were also nursing different injuries but have now recovered.

Fullback Leon Tizora is also nursing a shoulder injury.

The Mutare Sports Club gaffer said the long lay-off has been a blessing.

“The long lay-off will obviously affect our momentum in terms of our performance on the field of play but we are taking it as a blessing given the number of players that were injured when we last played a league match.

“A good number of our key players were injured including captain Gidoen Muyambe, Linton Kwenda, Blessing Chizaza, Leon Tizora, Exavier Kwenda and Casper Bande.

“The break that we had has allowed them to recover and I am happy that most of them have either fully recovered or are almost fit to play in our next match,” he said.

Munetsi said his team will work hard to maintain their form.

“We are aware that we have been playing well and that means every other team that we play will be at their very best. This is the reason we are working hard to maintain our form.

“We might not want to brag about our fine form of late but what we know is that we will give our opponents a good run for their money in the remaining matches,” he said.

Munetsi attributed their fine run to unity of purpose within the team.

“We have always had talented players but what lacked maybe was that unity of purpose,’’ he said.

“I can see that we now have unity of purpose in the team. My players know what they faced in previous seasons and they know what they want this season.

“They now know what they are capable of achieving and that has helped us a lot,” he said.