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Sports Reporter
HARARE Sports Club flyhalf Lenience “El-Tee” Tambwera believes that having a player/coach in their structures was the biggest advantage that led to his side winning the Northern Region Super League title at the weekend. The former Young Sables midfielder feels coach Daniel Hondo’s presence gave them an upper hand not only during the round-robin format of the games, but in the knockout stages leading to their lifting of the championship.

Harare Sports Club beat city rivals Old Georgians Sports Club 18-11 to win the regional league competition in just the first season that Hondo took charge of the Red Lions’ camp.

Hondo — who is also the Cheetahs coach — exhibited he still has the game despite having retired from international rugby at the end of last year prior to his appointment as the Sevens coach where he took over from veteran Gilbert “Gidza” Nyamutsamba.

However, it was his side’s performance at ZB Sports Club that Tambwera feels could not have been possible had Hondo not been part of the XV on the field.

“I think him being a player coach was our biggest plus. If you have a playing coach then he is able to understand the situation on the field better than a coach who is on the bench because he (the playing coach) will be having the full picture of the game.

“Even the way he goes through the paces or trains the squad is such that he understands the players as he would be part of the playing structure and he is able to balance that with his coaching role,” said Tambwera.

Sports Club got their points through Tambwera’s two penalties and a conversion, a try each from Osborne Muhambi and Takudzwa “Jigga” Francisco in a side that was dominated by youthful players.

Tambwera added that the fact that SARU programmes manager in charge of club rugby Duane Heath watched the final to assess the level of club rugby in the country with the hope of including Zimbabwe into the South African structures did not affect how they played.

“We just played our usual game and I believe the difference between us and OGs was that we wanted the title more. It was not about making it for the Cell C Community Cup in South Africa, but it was all about pride.

“Yes, we were told about the prospects of the winning team likely to play in South Africa, but that was just said in passing so it was not our major focus, if that happens then that would be a bonus to us.

“Our side was full of energy and not taking anything away from OGs, I think they gave us a good challenge though they missed a couple of tackles,” said Tambwera.

Sports Club blew away a number of try scoring chances, Tambwera was adjudged to have stepped on the dead ball line, Sports Club knocked on just before the whitewash.