I’ve said it for a while now – Tonderai Chavhanga is quick. In fact he’s not just quick, he’s probably in the top three fastest professional players in the world. Bold statement, I know, but if you watch Chavhanga enough you’ll know that it’s probably true.
Until now he’s underachieved on the international stage. Sure, he did score six tries on debut for the Springboks, a South African record, but that was against Uruguay who didn’t offer too much resistance. It was still a great achievement however, and a glimpse of what he was capable of in space.
The Zimbabwean born and schooled flyer has always had the potential to light up a game with his mind blowing speed. A few years back, against the Blues in a classic Super 12 match in Auckland, Chavhanga scored a scorcher of a try when he chased a kick ahead and left the speedy Joe Rokocoko for dead.
Injury worries have always been his downfall though unfortunately, with him having spent seasons off the field, thus hampering his progress.
This season he’s looking good, with this sensational try against the Chiefs on the weekend being a great example of the man’s talent and his genuinely gifted running ability. His long strides and deceptive step blew the Chiefs’ defence to pieces. On another occasion in the match, he caught up with Sosene Anesi, who is himself widely regarded as a true speed merchant.
Tonderai Chavhanga has arrived, and for rugby lovers around the world, we’re hoping he’s here to stay this time.
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