Sorry for the lack of updates today, we have been up in Imire Game Park all day and of course being out in the bush no chance of getting any Internet connection.
Well yesterday, what a day of new experiences. To start with it is the first time that most of the boys will have played in front of an almost packed house with over 1000 spectators crammed into the 3 stands. The second new experience is the amount of press coverage that we are getting - the Zimbos love the fact that we are here and really believe that our tour could be the start of touring teams coming back to Zim again! We are one of the main stories in all of the Zimbabwean papers. I had to give a live radio interview on pitch side before the game and then a TV interview after the game. A bit nerve-racking, especially as I hadn't had a chance to adopt Rog Uttley's tactic of having quite a few beers before trying anything like that. Anyway it wasn't too bad I got into a flow of spouting our standard line (true by the way) of how wonderful it is to be here and how great and welcoming absolutely everyone has been!
To the game! They came out firing with some very strong and powerful players and some massive hits. This game had been a big focus for the Lions, they had been training together weekly since February! They took the lead with a drop goal after some surging play into our half. We then came back with a try but then quickly conceded two back to go 15-7 down. We then started to get into our stride and hit our patterns well playing some very pretty rugby, made prettier by our lovely pinks shirts! We came back and were 22-15 up at the half and looked quite comfortable. However that all changed after the break and we made a poor start and fell off our patterns, allowing them to come back to a 23-22 lead. We missed perhaps 20 points in the second half making some silly mistakes, knock ons, not giving overlaps for easy tries etc. etc. We pressured a lot in the last 10 but didn't manage to get the points we needed to win. A real shame, but the result as you can imagine absolutely delighted our hosts who were very gracious in victory.
The boys were a little despondent as they knew they had lost a game that they should have won - however after a bit of team bonding and a couple (a couple only) of beers in the Harare Sports Club, the boys cheered up and a really great team spirit has started to develop. The boys have given up trying to learn everyone's name and have resorted to the good old tactic of giving themselves nicknames, e.g. Chicago, Carnage, Semi-aquatic Perspiring Mammal, Guns (biceps not weapons) and so on! Just like the good old days some songs were sung and a great time was had. Everyone loved us and treated us as real VIPs - it was a great day despite the loss, even I as one of the grumpiest losers in the world was totally overwhelmed and brought round by the wonderful reception and hospitality that we have had here! Bravo Zim!!!
Also, as Edwin has just pointed out, what the boys didn't realise and what made it much more difficult was that we were actually playing at 5000 feet, a tough ask after 14 hours in the air.
Reports from the Captain and man of the match, Charlie Jewers will follow!
The sun eventually came out this afternoon and so we all went from October to sun burn!
Well yesterday, what a day of new experiences. To start with it is the first time that most of the boys will have played in front of an almost packed house with over 1000 spectators crammed into the 3 stands. The second new experience is the amount of press coverage that we are getting - the Zimbos love the fact that we are here and really believe that our tour could be the start of touring teams coming back to Zim again! We are one of the main stories in all of the Zimbabwean papers. I had to give a live radio interview on pitch side before the game and then a TV interview after the game. A bit nerve-racking, especially as I hadn't had a chance to adopt Rog Uttley's tactic of having quite a few beers before trying anything like that. Anyway it wasn't too bad I got into a flow of spouting our standard line (true by the way) of how wonderful it is to be here and how great and welcoming absolutely everyone has been!
To the game! They came out firing with some very strong and powerful players and some massive hits. This game had been a big focus for the Lions, they had been training together weekly since February! They took the lead with a drop goal after some surging play into our half. We then came back with a try but then quickly conceded two back to go 15-7 down. We then started to get into our stride and hit our patterns well playing some very pretty rugby, made prettier by our lovely pinks shirts! We came back and were 22-15 up at the half and looked quite comfortable. However that all changed after the break and we made a poor start and fell off our patterns, allowing them to come back to a 23-22 lead. We missed perhaps 20 points in the second half making some silly mistakes, knock ons, not giving overlaps for easy tries etc. etc. We pressured a lot in the last 10 but didn't manage to get the points we needed to win. A real shame, but the result as you can imagine absolutely delighted our hosts who were very gracious in victory.
The boys were a little despondent as they knew they had lost a game that they should have won - however after a bit of team bonding and a couple (a couple only) of beers in the Harare Sports Club, the boys cheered up and a really great team spirit has started to develop. The boys have given up trying to learn everyone's name and have resorted to the good old tactic of giving themselves nicknames, e.g. Chicago, Carnage, Semi-aquatic Perspiring Mammal, Guns (biceps not weapons) and so on! Just like the good old days some songs were sung and a great time was had. Everyone loved us and treated us as real VIPs - it was a great day despite the loss, even I as one of the grumpiest losers in the world was totally overwhelmed and brought round by the wonderful reception and hospitality that we have had here! Bravo Zim!!!
Also, as Edwin has just pointed out, what the boys didn't realise and what made it much more difficult was that we were actually playing at 5000 feet, a tough ask after 14 hours in the air.
Reports from the Captain and man of the match, Charlie Jewers will follow!
The sun eventually came out this afternoon and so we all went from October to sun burn!
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