Simbas go down against Cavaliers: Paarwater’s boys suffer third loss in Vodacom Cup, tough fixtures await

By BS MULAVI

The 15s national rugby team celebrate winning a past tournament. [PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD]

The Tusker Simbas seem to be proving the critics right as they suffered their third successive loss in the Vodacom Cup in South Africa on Saturday evening.

The side, which comprises Kenya national team players, lost 24-19 to Boland Cavaliers in an exciting match in Cape Town.

This means Kenya has won only one match in their four games, despite coming close several times.

When the Vodacom Cup idea was first proposed by the Kenya Rugby Union, pundits claimed the national team was not ready to take part in a gruelling league away from home.

Further, they claimed they would lose all their games and come home with injuries ahead of their World Cup qualifier matches in Madagascar.

The Tusker Simbas, however, got off to a dream start in the tournament and won their first game against the EP Kings.

The victory sparked some hope among the home fans.

However, the jubilation was to be shortlived as Kenya followed that win with three loses against Border Bulldogs, SWD Eagles and Boland Cavaliers.

Ironically, all the teams Kenya has played against are in the bottom half of the league, which means Kenya is only left with tougher opposition in the competition.                                                                  It includes a tough fixture against third-placed Western Province over the weekend.

Not a priority

The tie will be followed by a match against the league leaders Sharks and finally against second-placed Free State XV.

Head coach Jerome Parwaater has defended his troops, saying Vodacom was not their top priority but rather was preparation ground for the World Cup qualifiers.

The top priority for the national team remains qualifying for the World Cup in England in 2015.

And the Vodacom Cup is only meant to help the players gain experience, give the technical bench a chance to watch the players in action, try different combinations and build on team chemistry.

Even though the Vodacom Cup is not a priority, Parwaater claims that they are still playing to win every match.

But they are approaching the games cautiously, looking at long terms goals and not just the immediate victory, which could lead to injuries and burn-out for the players.

Parwaater feels encouraged by the progress made by some of the players on the team.

He claims that the team will definitely return to the country a better side than it was before they embarked on the Vodacom Cup.