The possibility of a duel between Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga and Shane Williams of Wales is creating excitement even before the selection of the South African squad for the two-Test series.
Stephen Nell writes in Die Burger that Williams has scored 41 tries in 56 internationals for the Welsh, who will arrive in South Africa as Six Nations champions later this week.
Chavhanga has scored six tries in his two Test appearances. He was in outstanding form for the Stormers before tearing a hamstring in the Super 14 match against the Hurricanes.
He is expected to be in the squad to be announced by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers on Wednesday.
If form is the yardstick for selection, Chavhanga must have a good chance of being on the right wing when the Springboks meet Wales in Bloemfontein next week.
He has recovered from the injury and does not foresee a problem to regain his Super 14 form.
“I really enjoyed my rugby until I was injured,” he said on Tuesday. “I don’t believe my form will be negatively influenced by the fact that I’ve been out for a few weeks.”
Chavhanga is not taking selection for granted, though. “I’d love to be in the team, of course, but we have good wings in South Africa. If I’m given the opportunity, I’ll play as if it’s my last game.”
The speedster played well when he was a member of the Emerging Springboks team that De Villiers coached at the Nations Cup tournament in Romania last year.
On Tuesday, he also expressed his gratitude for the guidance he had received from the Stormers’ coaching staff.
“I have grown a lot as a player under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, Allister Coetzee and Brendan Venter. They really helped me with things that I had previously neglected.
“I played better in every match and gained much confidence from the fact that the coaches believed in me,” Chavhanga said.
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In the last two days i have noticed something very interesting.
It is not S14 or CC rivalry that divides the SA public it is the selection of the Springbok team that does.
So in that vain…………
The possibility of a duel between Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga and Shane Williams of Wales is creating excitement even before the selection of the South African squad……
It does??????
Where???????????
In CT?????????
😉 😳
Hadn’t really given it a thought
Either way I hope he remains uninjured definitely one of the form wings this S14… and we need that gas…
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 4) :
As i said yesterday, He and Habana will have most opposition quivering in their boots.
Ain’t no substitute for outright pace.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : Didn’t you know? The Cape press have special powers. They can influence Springbok selection & make other SA sides play badly. 😉 😆
@racheltjiedebeer (Comment 6) :
Well in this case they don’t need to create the hype, Tondie 🙄 (who came up with such a PANTS nickname) will make it on his own steam.
Or is there an award in the CT media for the writer who claims to have got the most guys into the team 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) : 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) : Tondie…sounds like he should be in the SA cricket squad.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 5) :
Outright pace is good…….outright pace plus size is better
@Dive Pass (Comment 10) :
he is not much smaller if ANY than Habana though?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 11) :
Have we got any stats on his and Habana’s size? Interested to see? I always had the impression he is not as big as JP for example.
@Dive Pass (Comment 12) :
Am looking at the mo.
Full Name Bryan Gary
Nick Name Dash
Surname Habana
Height 179cm
Weight 94kg
Birth Date 12 June 1983
Full Name Tonderai
Surname Chavhanga
Height 184cm
Weight 86kg
Birth Date 24 December 1983
Taller but a little lighter.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 14) :
Thanks for that KSA….can I be a pain and ask for JPs?…..pity they don’t give out speeds over 40m and 100m….
Dash? is that not one of Santa’s reindeer?
@Dive Pass (Comment 15) :
It is not fast celtic dwarves like Williams that are the real test of Bok wings but fast giant Polynesian imports in the NZ and Aussie teams…
@Dive Pass (Comment 10) :
We don’t have that in RSA…
94kg is very heavy for a dude who’s the same height as me…
He has a real lower centre of gravity with broad shoulders… ask Paul Sackey…
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 20) : I also have a low centre of gravity 😉
I think it’s safe to say Williams won
@robdylan (Comment 22) :
yeah you seem to have a point
@KSA Shark © (Comment 23) : It happens every once in a while 🙂