BY ENOCK MUCHINJO
HARARE – Currie Cup great Kennedy Tsimba has a TV pundit role on SABC for Saturday’s final between Lions and Sharks, but the World Rugby Hall of Famer could be forgiven for paying special attention to two fellow countrymen from Zimbabwe who will clash in the decider of South Africa’s premier rugby competition.
Lions backline ace Tapiwa Mafura is vying for a third successive Currie Cup title with three different teams, having won it in 2022 at Pumas and in 2023 in Cheetahs colours.
Zimbabwe’s first black captain Tsimba – who was the Currie Cup’s Player of the Year in 2002 at Cheetahs before going on to win the championship with Blue Bulls in 2006 – says Sables livewire Mafura reminds him a lot of his former international colleague Victor Olonga.
Tapiwa Mafura, in trademark style, side-steps an opponent while playing for Lions this season.
“He (Mafura) is a wonderful attacker with ball in hand,” Tsimba told SportsCast on Wednesday. “He reads situations well and has great understanding of defensive skills. He reminds me of a young Victor Olonga. They both are well-balanced runners that play with a sense of composure and confidence.”
Olonga – older brother of Zimbabwe’s history-making cricketer Henry – left an indelible mark on England’s club rugby scene and is regarded as one of the most naturally gifted players his country has ever produced.
Victor Olonga plays for Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier in Morocco in 1998.
Now the 28-year-old Mafura – who like ex-star Olonga is comfortable slotting in at fullback, centre and wing – will make a unique piece of history if Johannesburg side Lions are crowned 2024 Currie Cup champions on their Ellis Park home turf on Saturday.
“As a player you always strive to leave your mark on the game’s legacy, which he is surely going to do,” Tsimba, who is backline coach of 2024 Currie Cup losing semi-finalists Bulls, said of Mafura.
“The feedback I’ve received from his coaches at all three unions is that he is very coachable, and that is a key component for a great player. We will be supporting from afar as a nation this coming weekend.”
Turning to the 25-year-old Sharks flanker Tino Mavesere, Tsimba was also “excited” about this ever-improving mainstay of Zimbabwe’s back row.
“Tino is an extremely exciting player to watch,” Tsimba commented. “He is explosive, and he is a strong ball-carrying loose forward.”
Mavesere however missed last weekend’s semi-final with Bulls due to injury.
Both Mafura and Mavesere were in top form when Zimbabwe lifted the Africa Cup title in July in Uganda, and will once again be some of Sables coach Piet Benade’s key men next year when the Sables bid to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
“It’s important that we have national team players gaining experience at the top level as the knowledge will be very valuable when taken back into the Sables environment,” remarked Tsimba.
With Bulls out of this final after last weekend’s defeat to Mavesere’s Sharks, legendary former fly-half Tsimba – now confined to the studio instead of the dugout for Saturday’s showdown – could be tempted to root for Lions.
But he isn’t saying so, preferring a more neutral slant: “It will be a very physical final, with both teams eager to play running rugby.”
