Zimbabwe Sables kicked off the chase for the 2023 Rugby World Cup ticket by pummelling Repechage winners Burkina Faso 101-3 in a match played in Harare on Sunday.
The Rugby Africa Pool D matches were initially scheduled for Tunisia but had to be moved to Harare due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Tunisia.
Tunisia were also forced to withdraw from the tournament that serves as a qualification pathway for the 2023 Rugby World Cup due to travel restriction.
With Zimbabwe playing in their own backyard, they put up a nearly perfect performance which saw them score 15 tries against the newbies. By the halftime break, Zimbabwe were leading 47-3 having scored seven tries and converted six.
In the second half, they got eight more tries for 54 points to pick the huge win over Burkina Faso.
Three players, Shingirai Katsvere, Matthew McNab and Cleopas Kundiona landed a brace of tries in the win. Nine more players, Biselele Tshamala, Keith Chiwara, Sebastian Roche, Marcus Nel, Deanne Makoni, Martin Mangongo, Shayne Makombe, Aiden Burnett and Matthew Mandioma got a try each.
Keith Chiwara and Dudley White-Sharpley contributed 26 points in form of conversions. Fly-half Kassoum Deme scored Burkina Faso’s lone penalty.
Burkina Faso have two days to get ready for the second clash against the Sables which will determine who tops the pool.
The result marked Zimbabwe’s second-biggest win in Test rugby, only bettered by their 130-10 victory against Botswana on 9 September 1996.
Zimbabwe 101-3 Burkina Faso