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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
EXACTLY a year ago Old Hararians rugby chairman Losson Mtongwiza calmly and confidently told me that his Old Boys were going to win the 2013 edition of the National Rugby League.
Between 2006 and 2012 Old Hararians struggled and never came close to lifting the NRL Cup, the team changed coaches, administrators and players but that never seemed to help their cause.
But, this year was different year.
Mtongwiza’s dream came to life after Old Hararians turned on one of the greatest comebacks in local rugby history to beat Old Georgians and win the NRL title.
Coming back from a half-time deficit of 9-24, the Old Boys were a different side in the second half and raked in 20 points that saw Old Georgians add only a penalty to lift the championship 29-27.
The Old Boys long journey to be champions started late last year when Sables assistant coach Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge joined them.
The Old Boys did not only acquire players from Harare Sports Club but they also went deep and down to Bulawayo where Cheetahs utility Gardner Nechironga came from while Alex Ndangana bounced back.
From Sports Club came prop Raymond Dzvairo, fullback Tangai “Too Bad” Nemadire while former forward Derrick Chiwara went on to be Mandenge’s assistant coach on performance-based contracts.
“It’s not that I moved to OH with these players but it just happened that it was at the time when players were moving because that was off-season and for me that was just the right time as my predecessors had also set a foundation for this championship.
“Moving from Sportivo to OH was not painful for me because I am a coach, I go where my services are needed and when I got to OH I approached everything professionally, sat down with the players and we set targets together as a team.
“Of course, at first there were some elements of resistance to change in some quarters with people arguing about the style of rugby I wanted the club to play to win the league but as time went on they started appreciating.
“I did not change much though, but it was just the game structure that I worked on more, moving away from one aspect of largely using the forwards to making sure that the ball is spread out wide as well.”
The Old Boys suffered just one defeat in the league the whole season at the hands of Old Georgians – the same side they went on to beat where it mattered most.
“I was on record after that Week Five game (against OGs) that we were not going to lose any game up to the end of the season and I am happy I had players and administrators who all believed in each other.
“In the final against OGs I knew that we were going to win that game despite being 20 points down at some point because I compared my substitutes with theirs (OGs) and I saw that we had depth so there was no need for me to panic.
“We had quality and depth on our bench and that is another thing that drove us throughout the season as we had players for every situation that we found ourselves in suiting the respective game plans we had even when we had injuries,” said Mandenge.
But what is next for the Sables assistant coach given that his year-long contract has effectively come to an end.
“I am a coach and rugby is my passion. I had a year’s contract at OH and that has come to an end.
“I am there to develop the game in Zimbabwe no matter at what level or where and so if anyone requires my services then I can always help.
“Of course it is not my call to make.
“But it is every coach’s dream to defend a title they have won and I would love to do that (defend the NRL title) with them again,” he said.
Online Reporter