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Brandon Moyo at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds

ZIMBABWE’S national men’s Under-20 rugby team, the Junior Sables, staged a remarkable second-half comeback to register a six-point win over the Outback Barbarians at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds.

The Junior Sables were trailing 20-21 at halftime but managed to stick to their guns to register a 39-33-win, courtesy of a last-minute Tafara Dewa try, which was successfully converted by Tinotenda Rusike.

Wayne Kunaka scored the first try for the Junior Sables in the ninth minute, with co-vice-captain Rusike converting to make it 7-0.

The big Australians, playing a physical and aggressive game, responded two minutes later with a converted try.

Moments later, Tinotenda Rusike nearly made a grave mistake before Shammah Jackson came to the rescue with a kick.

Quick hands from the Junior Sables saw PK Manyakara beat the Outback Barbarians’ defence to restore Zimbabwe’s lead in the 22nd minute. Rusike, however, missed the conversion in front of the posts.

In the 29th minute, Kunaka played the ball on the ground for a penalty. The visitors opted to tap and managed to score a try, which was successfully converted under the posts to take a two-point lead.

Rusike comfortably converted a Junior Sables penalty to reclaim their lead.

The lead was short-lived, as poor decision-making from the hosts cost them. The Outback Barbarians scored their third try and successfully converted.

Two minutes before halftime, the Outback Barbarians’ flyhalf missed a penalty after they had decided to go for posts.

A minute later, Shammah Jackson made a brilliant interception and run to score the Junior Sables’ third try. However, Rusike missed the conversion with the last kick of the first half.

The Barbarians scored their fourth try in the 55th minute, which was successfully converted once again to make it 20-28.

Impact player Ethan Chiponda scored a brilliant try from a drop kick in the 60th minute, whose conversion, however, was missed by Phillip Chimhaka.

The miss, which would have levelled the score, left Zimbabwe trailing 25-28.

Five minutes later, Chimhaka went on to score a brilliantly worked-out try, which Tatenda Kambvumbi successfully converted to make it 32-28 in favour of the Junior Sables.

In the 69th minute, the Outback Barbarians scored another try but missed the conversion to make it 32-33.

In the 77th minute, Zimbabwe missed a penalty, but a minute later, Tafara Dewa scored a try that sealed the game for the hosts. It was successfully converted by Rusike to make it 39-33.