Old Hararians grind it out

Deputy Sports Editor

Old Hararians………………(17) 36

Harare Select……………….(0) 14

WHILE records will show that Old Hararians won comprehensively, the result is not a true reflection of the match.

Instead, it was their opponents, a Harare Select side, that won the hearts of neutrals with a spirited second-half display in their Nedbank Rugby Challenge Cup encounter at Old Georgians Sports Club yesterday.

Coach Fortune Chipendo’s side looked like they were going to be punished for their lack of game time and training, as Old Boys raced to a 17-0 first-half lead.

A brace from flanker Kudakwashe Umera and prop Tanaka Chikwezvero looked to have put the game firmly in the defending Super Six champions’ hands.

It could have been worse had it not been for some awful kicking by the OH’s flyhalf Tinotenda Savanhu.

Savanhu could only convert just one of his sides’ three tries, while Lesley Rukweza also played a part by missing two penalty attempts, including one ambitious one from just after the half-way line.

Maybe it was due to their age or a general lack of experience, but the Harare Select side all but forgot every tenet of basic rugby.

They did not move the ball, starved their wings, missed a lot of tackles and often played the ball inside their own 22 rather than kick for touch.

That all changed after the team talk at the break.

The young team, mostly made up of Under-20 players, came back a totally rejuvenated side.

What followed was a 10-minute blitz that saw the select side come within three points courtesy of tries from Rukweza and Nathan Mashaya.

Even Rukweza’s kicking improved, with the fly-half converting both tries.

With the young side showing grit and determination, and the crowd firmly won over, Old Boys were forced to act fast or risk giving the Nedbank Rugby Challenge Cup tourney its first upset.

Old Boys coach Derek Chiwara was forced to bring in the seasoned pair of Tichafara Makwanya and Garvin Nyawata, who immediately took control of the game.

Tries from Russel Dinha, Makwanya and Tamuka Pamire eventually put the game beyond Harare Select’s reach, giving them what some will think was an easy victory.

Savanhu added two more conversions for the reigning league champions.

“Look, a win is a win, and it is what is important at the end of the day,” said Chiwara.

“These are early days for us and we are using this Challenge Cup to try out new pairings and different combinations.

“Credit to the players for grinding out the result, and now we move on to the next match.

“We will look at some of our problem areas and work on them during training,” he said.

His opposite number, Chipendo, was full of praise for his charges.

“I think today we played much better than we did last week, with the guys more focused and looked like boys on a mission,” said Chipendo.

Opening up on the halftime team talk, the former Zimbabwe international said: “All they needed was a little confidence. I told them that this was their game and all they needed to do was believe.

“They responded well, and so did OH with those second-half substitutions.

“In the end, it was a good game and now we have two weeks to work on our game and try getting some sort of team cohesion and chemistry going.”