Andrew
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
Old Georgians …………………………………. (21) 33
Under-20 HP …………………………………….(6) 20
IT might not have been pretty, but Old Georgians eventually got the job done.
The Harare giants yesterday secured their spot in the final of the Nedbank Rugby Challenge Cup, courtesy of victory over a spirited Under-20 High-Performance team at Old Hararians Sports Club.
However, the big news coming out of yesterday’s proceedings, largely dominated by the Old Hararians against Harare Sports Club derby, was that the tournament will now be cut short as the national team, Sables, prepare to get into camp for next month’s Currie Cup First Division.
Sables coach Brendan Dawson and his technical team are expected to announce the Currie Cup squad tomorrow, after which the team will regroup after next weekend’s Nedbank Rugby Challenge final at Harare Sports Club. Dawson and his men will then have the final two weeks of the month to get their ducks in a row and then make their way to South Africa.
The Sables news aside, it was an otherwise entertaining day of rugby as coach Sean De Souza and his spirited Under-20 team, themselves using this tournament as preparation for the Bathe’s Cup, taught OGs a lesson in humility.
Tries from Ryan Mushumhi, Stan Mangwenzi, Neil Mawere and Jerry Jaravaza, who also made four conversions and two penalties, secured the win for OGs.
However, it was the High-Performance squad that really made their presence felt.
They started off like the schoolboys they are; missing tackles, giving away penalties, and making some schoolboy errors.
Their fly-half ,Takudzwa Musingwini, is the only person that kept them in the game as his two penalty kicks made sure they had some points on the board as the teams went to the break with the scores at 21-6.
All that changed in the second stanza as their tackling got better and the youngsters started winning the line-outs which were both areas that led to their undoing during the first half.
They also got two quick tries from Shadrick Mandaza and Alex Nyamunda, duly converted by Musingwini, and all of a sudden it was a three-point game and OGs were struggling. Jaravaza, however, kept OGs in the game courtesy of two penalties and a conversion for Mawere’s try.
Mawere’s try was to be the last kick of the game. OGs coach Mark ‘Widzo’ Wilson was full of high praise for his opponents.
“Listen, a win is a win.
“While it was a little bit scrappy, and a little bit ugly at times, we will take the win and the points,” said Wilson.
On the Under-20 High-Performance squad, Wilson said: “I have worked with the Under-20s over the past couple of years and I am really excited to see the talent that is coming through.
“I think Sean (De Souza) and his team are on the right track; they gave us a good run for our money at times, and with the right preparations this team is going to do wonders in the future”.
De Souza was beaming with pride after his team’s spirited performance.
“The game wasn’t about the results, but about getting our systems in place,” said the HP coach. “This tournament, and our participation here, is part of our selection process.
“This is just a 26-men squad, and we hope to get another game next week and try out another squad”.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu