adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
NATIONAL Rugby League defending champions Harare Sports Club are yet to wake up to see what hit them this year as they have suffered four defeats at the hands of top sides in the league. Last year at this stage, the Red Lions were on top of their game, thrashing whatever came their way and had won all but one of their 14 league games — a 29-28 loss away to Bulawayo’s Mat’land Warriors.
With nine weeks into the season, Nsikelelo “Sykes” Sibanda and his men had not suffered a defeat and they went on to collect the Metro Challenge Cup.
Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge was the assistant coach and Blessing Chiutare was the team manager.
They once again won the league title with a spirited performance against Mat’land Warriors in the final.
But things have changed at Sports Club.
They have lost the spark they had last year and a move by one man seems to have changed the way of life at Sportivo.
Mandenge moved to Old Hararians where he became the head coach in a move that surprised a lot of rugby followers given the rivalry between the two sides.
Today, after 14 weeks of play, OH are top of the log standings having suffered only one defeat to Old Georgians who they, however, beat in the return leg over the weekend.
They have beaten both Old Georgians and Sports Club home and away, they are the only side that has lost once and they have the best attack.
They have surely picked the same performance and form that Sports Club were in this time last year.
Of course, Mandenge could not have done it without bolstering his side during the off-season and he took with him some of the players from Sports Club — Cheetahs and Sables winger Tangai Nemadire, Samson Makuku, Raymond Dzvairo and Derek Chiwara, who is now his assistant at the Old Boys.
Fullback Cleopas Makotose moved to the Warriors in Bulawayo while Alex Ndangana, who had stopped playing, also moved to OH with Gardner Nechironga coming in from Bulawayo.
The next three weeks will determine who the real rugby men are in the local league as the sides are now in the decisive stage of the league.
And if Mandenge can win the championship, then it’s clear he is the one with the Midas Touch.
Online Reporter