South Africa A scored six unanswered tries to beat Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
It was a scrappy encounter between an SA A team playing together for the first time and a Zimbabwe side lying 24th in the World Rugby rankings.
The hosts ultimately claimed a 40-0 victory after leading 21-0 at half-time, but the World Cup-bound Sables came away with their pride in tact.
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SA A winger Zekhethelo Siyaya crossed the line twice in the opening five minutes, but both tries were disallowed – for a foot in touch and offside respectively.
Captain Vincent Tshituka then blew a certain try after bursting away and selfishly failing to pass to brother Emmanuel, who was unmarked on his outside.
SA A finally opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Junior Boks flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed threw a dummy before beating the last defender to score under the posts.
Yaqeen Ahmed cracks Zimbabwe’s defence and South Africa ‘A’ have their first
Stream #RSAvZIM on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/kx3ised93f
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Soon after, centre Markus Muller capitalised on a Zimbabwe handing error and when scrumhalf Haashim Pead darted away from a ruck on the half-hour mark, the hosts led 21-0.
Haashim Pead makes the dummy goes straight under the posts
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 20, 2026
Siyaya left the field late in the half after taking a stray Sables boot to the face, replaced by Jurenzo Julius.
SA A then suffered another setback in the 52nd minute when Ahmed received a yellow card – upgraded to red after a bunker review – for colliding with airborne Zimbabwe fullback Tapiwa Mafura.
But the 14-man hosts were still able to score another three tries – through replacement scrumhalves Nico Steyn and Imad Khan, and winger Jaco Williams – while keeping the Sables scoreless.
SOUTH AFRICA A – Tries: Yaqeen Ahmed, Markus Muller, Haashim Pead, Nico Steyn, Imad Khan, Jaco Williams. Conversions: Ahmed (3), Luan Giliomee (2).
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post SA A take down stubborn Sables appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
South Africa A scored six unanswered tries to beat Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
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