Chavhanga’s fresh start
Lions wing Tonderai Chavhanga won’t let any personal goals hamper the team dynamic when he faces his old team-mates on Saturday.
The temptation could be there for Chavhanga – and on the flip side Jaque Fourie who has also swapped unions – to be on a personal mission against his former employers.
Chavhanga, however, is focused on a successful return from a shoulder injury after he played the final 40 minutes in their last warm-up against the Pumas.
‘If I make the whole match about me, I’ll lose the plot,’ Chavhanga told keo.co.za. ‘From a personal point of view I want to have a great game if selected, but I have to blend in with what the team is about.
‘When you try to prove too much to people, that’s when you make mistakes. After a few injuries, my legs are feeling good, and I’ve done a few extra tackling sessions to get my shoulder into shape. I just can’t wait to get the season started.’
Chavhanga joined the Lions in November and will be hoping for an injury-free run to reignite his career after playing his last Test two years ago against Wales.
The Cape franchise have looked impressive in the pre-season but haven’t won any silverware since the 2001 Currie Cup. The Lions are also rebuilding yet again, but Chavhanga didn’t want to compare the two unions.
‘Both unions have unique styles of operating, and for me, the move was exactly what I needed at this point in my career. It’s been a fresh start and due to the environment of change at the Lions, it’s been easy for everyone new to fit in. I’m just enjoying going to work at the moment.
‘We were chatting at the team meeting about how we’re always the underdogs and no-one really expects anything from the Lions. We must use that to our advantage and we’re all positive about bringing change to the union.
‘It’s going to be quite an experience playing against the Stormers for the first time. It’ll be a challenge as they’re playing well at the moment, but I’m hoping to get a chance to express myself.’
One of those players entrusted with employing coach Dick Muir’s expansive game-plan is Carlos Spencer. Chavhanga lauded the impact the former All Black has had in the month he’s been in Johannesburg.
‘We’re all planning on playing an exciting brand, but at the same time it’s all about balance and making good decisions. Most of our squad grew up watching Carlos as an All Black and a few of us know how good he is by playing against him.
‘From his first practice he immediately lifted everyone’s standards due to the professional that he is. At 34, he’s also probably the best conditioned guy in the squad.’
By Grant Ball
February 9th, 2010 at 4:58 am
Great speed
No defence
Injury Prone
But Good luck anyway
February 9th, 2010 at 6:38 am
@CoachPete:
Great speed in a straight line but not an ounce of skill in that entire body.
Give him a DVD player and a hifi set in a duffel bag and watch him deftly sidestep a charging rhino without blinking.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:48 am
Yip, Lions are underdogs alright!
And there is a reason for that…
Let’s see if JW & Minder can make the difference though.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:52 am
@CoachPete:
Gee
The guy is officially rated at 82kg and 1.81m tall, I would put him at 1.7om tall and 70kg based on visual comparison with Aplon.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:56 am
How big and heavy is Habana, imagine he skins Habana just like his pal Ngwenya did, wonder who’ll have fat streaks of yellow egg nog down their faces then?
February 9th, 2010 at 7:12 am
@skopskiet:
Wow skoppie I did not think you disliked Habana like you do Fdp
Remains to be seen.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:38 am
I don’t dislike Habana. Its just that I try see wood for trees and recognize speed and agility for what it is, whether it weighs 70kg or 80kg or 90kg. You don’t always need weight to skin the opposition. How heavy was Christian Cullen, possibly the finest running back of all time, or Phillipe Sella?
Ngwenya left Habana for dead and that was by pure speed alone. Likewise Chavanga has skinned the entire Blues team and others before, which means under right circumstances he can do so again.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:51 am
@skopskiet:
February 9th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Pathetic Lions! They should give way for a invitational of Namibia to play Super rugby!
February 9th, 2010 at 7:59 am
The Lions and Cheetahs.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:14 am
@Predawn:
What utter rubbish.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge Chavhanga’s defensive deficiencies but to say that there is not an ounce of skill in his body is just silly. The player has a great kick on him, a sidestep and can attack a line at pace. He had a superb Super 14 and that was rewarded with his call-up for the Wales games but his defence was exposed at international level. That doesn’t make him a bad player, but clearly he needs to work on his defensive awareness.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:17 am
@Cyborg:
That he pulled on the green and gold is a sham…but then anything goes in South Africa these days.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:18 am
s14 Fantasy manager http(colon)//s14fantasy(dot)foxsports(dot)com(dot)au/M/home(dot)mc join the league using the code 501-127. Time to see who really knows their rugby.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:25 am
chavanga was never a bok imo.
jumping one foot in the air every time you field an up and under, just so you dont get tackled “in the air” and then dropping the ball! is not good enough for me.
jorrie muller and a whole host of whiteys were kuk too but 2008 was defo the year of the wp-bok b team…and we got murdered.
when the sharks and bulls came back, all was well in the land.
have a good day and dont forget, i am watching you.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:12 am
I’m afraid most of you seem to get your minds made up and your opinions formed by whatever was posted first. Chavhanga is not a defensive liability – he’s contained the likes of Sivivatu and Rockococo very well in the past. And he certainly has more than just straight-line speed. Go to Youtube and type in Great Try Chavanga (or go to www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=zhcjxOg_msU) to see what he is capable of. Includes 1.) monster hand-off, 2.) speed through a gap and 3.) step and swerve round the last defender – all in the space of about 4 seconds.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:22 am
@katman: Just watched it, what a great try…
If he can do more of that for my Lions I will be very happy…
February 9th, 2010 at 9:35 am
@Rum And Maple: I think he will. And with Henno Mentz on the other wing, we’ll have the quickest finishers in the competition. Now to get the ball out to them…
February 9th, 2010 at 9:41 am
@katman: Agree…
I would go for Walla and Deon in midfield. They seemed to gel quicker than the other centre combos during the warm-ups and we need to gel quickly as a team…
But I suspect Dick will go with Doppies and Deon due to experience…
February 9th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I’d rather have Chavs in the Bok squad than Henno Mentz. Now THAT oke didnt deserve a test cap imo. He has breasts for hands!!!
February 9th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Chavanga’s career has been marred by one injury after another. If this guy had had an opportunity to play for two consecutive seasons without being injured, there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have gained experience and improved as a player.
I reckon by now he would have made that no.14 bok jersey his own.
He looked very good in the few games he played for the stormers and I hope he can replicate some of those good performances for the Lions.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:47 am
@Rum And Maple: I’m okay with Doppies and Deon, with Venter on the bench. Doppies gets a bad rap here and I have no idea why. He’s a great distributor of the ball and he’s as strong as most loosies on his feet. Plus he scavenges like a fetcher.
@wpw: Ja, but once he has the ball in his breasts, it’s tickets.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:53 am
@katman: Ja, I have no problem with Doppies…
Just thunk the Walla & Dean combo looked really good and created good opportunities for the wingers…
Either way, I’ll be happy. Doppies is also a great defender and acts as an extra fetcher in the backline.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:28 am
@Jozi: yeah
without the injuries he could’ve really become something special
no 1 can put it down to not getting enough opportunities but at least with the move to the Lions he could rekindle tht fire
especially nuder King Carlos
February 9th, 2010 at 11:37 am
@Papoose: I really hope so. I think it was Jake White who said Chavanga is the fastest player he’s ever coached.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
had it not been for injuries i reckon he’d have as many caps as habana by now…remember he made his debut ages ago….wales was his first test in ages and in a sense was like a 2nd debut…i reckon he would have definitely been a more prolific try scoring 14 than JP….maybe this will be his chance to restart his career afresh with a running flyhalf like king carlos….watch his reels on youtube, in 2008 arguably the best SA winger in the super 14 and talked up by the kiwi and aussie commentators as south africas version of caucau
February 9th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Chavhanga is a try-scoring machine and has a much better all-round game than Nokwe in my opinion.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
the nicest rugger bugger you will ever meet
February 9th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
@CoachPete:
“Great speed
No defence
Injury Prone
But Good luck anyway”
“Your hands can’t catch what your eyes can’t see”
February 9th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Good luck to the Lions and i hope they finish in the top 6.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Why no articles on Earl Rose ? The only global superstar Lions have and there is nothing writtened ? Earl is ons held !!