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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
IT has emerged that one player might have been sacrificed out of the Sables squad to Siberia, where they are set to take on hosts Russia, in a one-off rugby World Cup qualifier this Saturday.
The Sables travelled to Siberia with a 24-man squad after director of rugby Liam Middleton indicated that they had a provision from the International Rugby Board to travel with only 24 players for the make-or-break tie.

The International Rugby Board paid for the Sables trip to Russia.
“We didn’t plan to make any changes to the squad apart from that the IRB would only allow us to pick 24 players only because it’s a one-game tour,” Middleton told the media last week.

Instead, Sables’ coach Brendan Dawson’s wife, Oriana, had been slotted into the Zimbabwe Rugby Union travelling list and had submitted her visa application form to the Russian Embassy in Harare for her travel documents to be processed.

Oriana — who is a make-up artist based in Bulawayo — had submitted her visa application form to the Russian Embassy last week together with the ZRU officials and Sables application forms for the weeklong tour.

The Herald has it on good ground that Union president John Falkenberg blocked “honeymoon” trip for Dawson and this has created a rift in the ZRU administration as it did not go down well with both ZRU vice-president Colleen de Jong and Dawson.

Sources within the ZRU indicated that Falkenberg seems to finally be stamping his authority.
“Yes, it’s a fact that Dawson wanted his wife Oriana to travel with the squad to Russia but this did not go down well with Falkenberg who blocked the move.

“Looking at the fact that it took so long before Falkenberg resolved the Liam Middleton and Gilbert Nyamutsamba issue on who the real Cheetahs coach was, I think this was a way for him to show he was in control and will fight for what is right in the shortest possible time.

“But it’s unfortunate that these are the kind of issues that draw focus and attention away from the game on Saturday,” said the source.
ZRU communications consultant Godfrey Koti professed ignorence over the matter.

While the Zimbabwe rugby officials were fighting about Oriana’s trip, Russia were at the weekend engaged in a match against Italy but The Bears, who dominated for the greater part of the game, walked out 18-22 losers.

“It was a difficult match for us because of the rain,” said Russia skipper Roman Ovtchinnikov, who is also a Sevens player.
“We didn’t take advantage of some of the attacking positions we worked. This is a strong team with a winning mentality so this is a hard outcome to take.”
Hooker Ovtchinnikov plays for Locomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League and is a regular in the national side.

However, the Sables yesterday held three training sessions under the guidance of Dawson and his assistant Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge as Middleton is expected to join the rest of the squad by Thursday.

Team manager Brighton Chivandire said South-Africa-based scrummy Guy Cronje did not train with the squad yesterday as he was getting medical attention from physiotherapist Sharon Mkumbudzi having suffered a knock on his knee..

Sables squad
Forwards: Pieter Joubert, Keith Murray, Kevin Nqindi, Jan Ferreira, Graeme Lawler, Jacques Leitao, Lambert Groenewald, Lawrence Cleminson, Sanele Sibanda, Matthew Mandioma, Farai Mudariki, Fortune Chipendu, Kingsley Lang, Takunda Chifokoyo.

Backs: Daniel Hondo (captain), Hilton Mudariki, Guy Cronje, Stephan Hunduza, Riaan O’Neill, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Peter Du Toit, Lenience Tambwera, Shayne Makombe, Danny Robertson
Coach: Brendan Dawson
Assistant: Cyprian Mandenge
Manager: Brighton Chivandire
Physio: Sharon Mkumbudzi