Jaguars go into the match as the underdogs but intend to give Hogs a stiff fight. On the other hand, Hogs want to continue their dominance. Jaguars powered to the final after beating traditional giants, BDF Cheetahs 6-0 last weekend.
Hogs received a walkover to the final after their opponents, UB Rhinos did not show up.
Jaguars’ manager, Feddious Mutenheri said just like other sporting codes, they are emerging from the COVID-19 induced hiatus and it has not been easy.
He said it took a lot of hard work and commitment from the players, management, and sponsors. “Qualifying for the final demonstrates that if you put effort and trust the process you will reap the results.
This qualification proves that Jaguars are a force to reckon with going forward,” he said. Mutenheri said there was no room for surprises as the qualification is purely a function of hard work. “But more importantly, the young men invested their passion in the game and have been the drivers of this achievement. They committed to training sessions, implemented what they were taught, and they achieved this desired feat.
But it is not over yet. The final is our focus now,” he said. Jaguars made the league debut in 2015 and the same season, they ended as finalists. “The Canon Jaguars rugby club is a brand. Our various technical teams from Taku Mhonda’s era have always been robust. During Andrew Paxinos tenure, we also had a new dimension of robustness,” he said.
Mutenheri said they have now roped in Thabo Moyo, a technical fellow who takes on board various feedback and that is why they reached the final. “Every coach has their own philosophy of how they envisage the team to play and Moyo is no exception.
But that one thing that all coaches including Moyo have understood is that Jaguars have their special flair of exciting and entertaining rugby [fans] which mixes quick running rugby and physical grit,” Mutenheri said.
He said the side's play is shaped around the team and everything they do is teamwork. “So there is no deliberate plan or strategy to field what you are calling key players. Everyone of the 23 players is key because one without the other will not bring the result. As much as individual skill amongst our players is appreciated, those skills are channelled to assist the whole team to get desired results,” he said.
Mutenheri said having the underdog tag works best for the Jaguars. He said they are going into the game without pressure to win. “The pressure is on our opponents who boast of a star-studded line-up. We have an easy task to just tell our players to go on to the field and have fun and entertain their rugby-crazy, huge fan base, which religiously loves them.
Coming out of a COVID-19 rugby lull, a win for Jaguars in this final will be a bonus,” he said. Mutenheri said no one gave them a chance against Cheetahs and once again, they went into that game with the underdog tag and they focused on their game plan. He said they knew that Cheetahs would try to physically bully them off the scrum, on the maul and at every ruck.
“We knew that they will try to run direct at our relatively smaller players compared to the soldiers. We planned to match them pound for pound but also to be technically superior and indeed it was a decision we made in that game that won us the game,” he said. Mutenheri said that is the motivation the players have been getting into the game against the Hogs.
“We are aware of what they are likely to bring to us and we have a plan. So our motivation is that if we trust our process we will get the desired results,” he added. Hogs coach, Tyrone Warburton said preparations for the final have been good and believes the team is heading in the right direction. “I have not had much time to watch many of the Jaguars games but we will most definitely go hard at any set piece and try to keep the game very fast-paced. I cannot say we have key players because everyone has a role to do so for us it is about getting the job done at every aspect of the game,” he said.
Hogs have been accused of fielding a lot of foreign players, especially professionals from Zimbabwe, but Warburton said the team is a social club open to all residents of Botswana.
He said those who want to play rugby choose which club they prefer to play for. “With regard to contributing to the national team, Hogs have two 15s teams, a 10s team, a women’s team, and an Under-20 team so we believe that by actively developing younger players, we are making a contribution to the number of players available for national team selection,” he said.
Meanwhile, other rugby leagues, being the reserves, women's 7s and 10s, will conclude tomorrow. There will also be awarding of medals and trophies to the top three finishers.
