Gaborone — Rivalry will be relived on Saturday as rugby super weights, Gaborone Hogs and Cannon Jaguars clash in the rugby championship title quest.
In what is poised to be a 'gloves-off combat', Wharic park is set to transform into a battlefield and two old foes will fight beyond their historic best with the hope of claiming rugby supremacy with bragging rights also at stake.
The road to the final was not easy for the teams, with grueling semi-final clashes as Hogs had to beat UB Rhinos 31-17 while Jaguars came from behind for a 21-17 against BDF Cheetahs.
With the semi-final victories now in the past, the defending champions Hogs will start the Saturday finals as the favourites following the unbeaten streak in the league and the patronage of the fans.
Jaguars, nonetheless would be looking forward to causing a major upset and redeem themselves following their last years' 32-24 defeat in the finals to Hogs.
The Jaguars are cognisant of the prospect of facing a star-studded Hogs team boosting international players such as Kitso Matija, Brandon Vanzyl, Roberto Phobe and Koketso Galetshetse.
Speaking in an interview, Hogs manager Lean Warburton said the team's readiness to defend their title. "Recent history backs this up, we have been a dominant force in local rugby scenes and
Saturday will be no different since we have an injury-free squad with so much experience and are hopeful to use the ground to our advantage."
Warburton said having many international players in their squad was a plus, particularly during the current setup where there was little rugby to play all season.
"The league composition is very small which translates to few games, thus we depend on international games for fitness even at club level," she said.
She said club captain Brington Chinyanya's leadership would come in handy in ensuring back-to-back title for the Hogs.
Jaguars manager Feddious Mutenheri is well aware of the situation the Jaguars face and welcomes the underdog tag, believing it could help galvanise the side while relying on it for constant strong performances.
"If you look at Hogs at the moment, probably no one outside our immediate squad thinks we have a chance of winning, which sometimes can drive a bit more closeness within the team, a bit more purpose about what we are doing," he explained.
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Playing as underdogs would be a motivating factor on its own. "In this situation we need to embrace it because we are the underdogs but we want to be a team that can cope with any sort of tag that gets put on the team, whether be it favourites or underdogs."
He said Jaguars always had a score to settle whenever they face their cross-town rivals.
"A fixture against the Hogs is always a personal one for us because they always recruit some of our best talents, hence we always have a point to prove," he said.
Mutenheri said playing the finals a week after the semi-final tie against a physical Cheetahs side affected his squad depth as some of his key plays picked inquiries.
"Both our log and winger, Ontlametse Serumela and Siampunga Sindaza are heading into the finals with injuries picked this past Saturday," he said.
Led by national team and club captain Tafadzwa Ncube, Mutenheri cautioned rugby enthusiasts to rule out the Jaguars at their own peril.
BOPA
