South Korea vs Zimbabwe 2024 Match Preview (November 2024)

rugbyasia247 Posted On November 15, 2024

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South Korea vs Zimbabwe 2024 Match Preview (November 2024)

South Korea Men’s XV will face Zimbabwe as part of their preparation for the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 which is the prime target as the winner of the Asian competition will earn promotion to Rugby World Cup 2027.

The match will take place on Saturday 16th November 2024 at the Incheon Namdong Asiad Rugby at 4 pm local time.

The Zimbabwe Sables are ranked 29th and they comfortably beat UAE 62-22 at the Emirates Stadium on November 5th 2024. South Korea is ranked 33rd and they have not played a match since the Asia Rugby Championship in June.

The African side had a scrimmage match against a Korean XV in the lead up to this game.

Zimbabwe Sables Skipper Hilton Mudariki could potentially earn his 50th cap in this match and he was one of several try scorers for the team when they ran the UAE ragged with quick ball and lighting pace. Both Zimbabwe wings scored tries with South African Sharks-based left-wing Edward Sigauke scoring a hat trick and right-wing Trevor Gurwe causing UAE many problems.

Other players to watch are hooker Simba Mandioma who played his 48th match for the Sables in the win over UAE and was a threat in the loose and did well in the lineouts. Former Western Force player Ian Prior controlled things at flyhalf and had a good kicking game, while former Wallaby Kyle Godwin makes his first test start for Zimbabwe after coming off the bench vs UAE for his debut.

There is actually little information from the hosts, and both their Sevens and XV sides have been on the wrong end of poor results over the past two years as Korea seems to be going backwards in their progress.

Korea’s head coach is Myunggeun Lee who has overseen the men’s XVs and 7s teams.

UPDATE – Result Korea 22-27 Zimbabwe

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