BDF Cheetahs mauled University of Botswana (UB) Rhinos 23-15 in a hard fought match to clinch the 2016 Super Rugby League title in the league finale that was played on Saturday at Wharic Park in Gaborone.
The long awaited finale that attracted multitudes of spectators from all over Gaborone was a title decider between the two Gaborone giants that have been dominating the league throughout the season.
The Cheetahs came into the match as hot favorites after winning 11 games out of 12 outings in the league that posed a serious threat to their rivals.
In a post match interview, Cheetahs Lock and Captain Eddy Ernest applauded his boys for playing according to the coach’s instructions and sticking to the game plan which drove them to victory.
“Honestly speaking this week was one of the toughest weeks at training because we were wary of the threat that Rhinos posed ahead of the match. It’s always a huge task to face them. They are always coming hard on us, but we played according to the plan that was to dominate in the first half while they were still confused and trying to get on their feet because 2nd half they were always going to be a hard nut to crack and we did exactly what we were assigned to do,” he said.
They scooped gold, while Rhinos settled for Silver dethroning Canon Jaguars who finished third to win Bronze this season.
Captain Ernest further attributed their victory to commitment and hard work that they always portrayed at training through the help that head coach Seabe Gabatladiwe’s motivation provided throughout the season.
“The boys wanted the title more than anything and our coach was always motivating us so to believe in ourselves and it was up to us to rise and shine. We have a well disciplined squad that I always believed in hence our good run this season,” he added.
He also cited their intentions to attract more young players into the squad to balance the squad in all portions.
“It’s vital to introduce young players into the squad while experienced players are still active so that they familiarize themselves with the league setup and also for better transition. That’s what our coach has been trying to do and there is a lot of potential in them,” he concluded.
For his part head coach Seabe Shine Gabatladiwe couldn’t hide his excitement after the win and praised his boys for a thrilling performance.
“I won the game in the set pieces. I knew was the strength of my boys. Our season long program has brought us results that we have been gunning this season and I intend to keep my team well in shape and feet during the off season in order for us to continue our dominance,” he said.
