Well what a day! I suppose you want the result - we won 21-14!!!
The ISB remain undefeated against international opposition!
It was a truly amazing experience for the boys - even as they arrived the 15 piece pipe band were already playing and the beer laden crowd already starting to arrive for a late afternoon's entertainment in the Harare sun!
While the boys changed we were briefed by the match organisers on the all the technicalities, e.g. the role of the forth (yes forth) match official and the arrangements for the national anthems! I was briefed on where I would sit and on what to do when I met the Minister or Education, Sport and Culture and the process for introducing him to our management and players directly after the anthems - this clearly wasn't going to be an ordinary afternoons rugby!!!!
Both sides warmed up while comically trying to avoid the pipe band merrily playing away in the middle of the field before briefly returning to the changing room before parading onto the field for the national anthems.
The omens were not looking favourable when our boys, accompanied by a lone piper missed the entrance to God Save the Queen and only started singing half way through! However they did belt it when they got going and out sang the Zimbabweans. After being introduced to the Minister the game kicked-off. I shall leave the majority of the game details to Poults tomorrow but briefly:
We went ahead through a penalty - I had agreed considering the calibre of the opposition that the odd 3 points would be acceptable!
They however were very big and fast and came back with a well worked try on the wing. We looked rather nervous but surprisingly considering our style our forwards started to give us some dominance and we regained the lead with another penalty! 6-5
They then went ahead 8-6 with a penalty. We came back with a penalty to 9-8. I can't actually remember when halftime was but we were up and it was sometime around this time!!!
Zim then took the lead with a penalty 11-9 after a typically poor start to the second half by the ISB before we regained it with a very untypical catch and drive from the line-out - 14-11
Zim then pulled things back to all square with another penalty - 14-14
We were now starting to get into our flow and the pitch was starting to open up for our backs. From a line-out 5 out we made a bit of a bit of a hash of it but gathered it back before spinning it wide with a screen pass to the fullback coming into the line at a beautiful angle who handed off the Zim centre to score under the posts - 21-14
Then came some of the most heroic defence I have seen. The Zimbabweans spent almost all of the rest of the game inside our 5 metre line and I still do not know how we managed to keep them out - truly marvellous! We managed to pressure them finally into a knock on and the ref informed us it was the last play of the game. We had to win the ball and get it into touch to win! We did and the team erupted in joy and celebration!
What a day!
I promise we will fill you in more fully tomorrow but I really need some sleep!!!
The ISB remain undefeated against international opposition!
It was a truly amazing experience for the boys - even as they arrived the 15 piece pipe band were already playing and the beer laden crowd already starting to arrive for a late afternoon's entertainment in the Harare sun!
While the boys changed we were briefed by the match organisers on the all the technicalities, e.g. the role of the forth (yes forth) match official and the arrangements for the national anthems! I was briefed on where I would sit and on what to do when I met the Minister or Education, Sport and Culture and the process for introducing him to our management and players directly after the anthems - this clearly wasn't going to be an ordinary afternoons rugby!!!!
Both sides warmed up while comically trying to avoid the pipe band merrily playing away in the middle of the field before briefly returning to the changing room before parading onto the field for the national anthems.
The omens were not looking favourable when our boys, accompanied by a lone piper missed the entrance to God Save the Queen and only started singing half way through! However they did belt it when they got going and out sang the Zimbabweans. After being introduced to the Minister the game kicked-off. I shall leave the majority of the game details to Poults tomorrow but briefly:
We went ahead through a penalty - I had agreed considering the calibre of the opposition that the odd 3 points would be acceptable!
They however were very big and fast and came back with a well worked try on the wing. We looked rather nervous but surprisingly considering our style our forwards started to give us some dominance and we regained the lead with another penalty! 6-5
They then went ahead 8-6 with a penalty. We came back with a penalty to 9-8. I can't actually remember when halftime was but we were up and it was sometime around this time!!!
Zim then took the lead with a penalty 11-9 after a typically poor start to the second half by the ISB before we regained it with a very untypical catch and drive from the line-out - 14-11
Zim then pulled things back to all square with another penalty - 14-14
We were now starting to get into our flow and the pitch was starting to open up for our backs. From a line-out 5 out we made a bit of a bit of a hash of it but gathered it back before spinning it wide with a screen pass to the fullback coming into the line at a beautiful angle who handed off the Zim centre to score under the posts - 21-14
Then came some of the most heroic defence I have seen. The Zimbabweans spent almost all of the rest of the game inside our 5 metre line and I still do not know how we managed to keep them out - truly marvellous! We managed to pressure them finally into a knock on and the ref informed us it was the last play of the game. We had to win the ball and get it into touch to win! We did and the team erupted in joy and celebration!
What a day!
I promise we will fill you in more fully tomorrow but I really need some sleep!!!
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