HARARE - Scrumhalf Tatenda Gwesu has ended a three-year sabbatical from rugby and is expected to play for Old Hararians in a pre-season tournament involving Zambia’s Lusaka Rugby Club on Saturday.

New Old Hararians coach Cyprian Mandenge will use the main match against Lusaka assess his squad for the upcoming new season after taking over the reins at the Green Machine in the off-season.

Apart from Gwesu, Mandenge has also brought along flanker Samson Makuku and front row Raymond Dzvairo from his former club Harare Sports Club.

“These are games that we have always played against the Lusaka Rugby Club and gives us an opportunity to assess the players be it in attack, defence and the general discipline of players,” Mandenge told the Daily News yesterday.

“Generally every coach wants to win every match so apart from looking at the players we will be vying for victory as well.”

The Sables assistant coach crossed the Great Divide from Harare Sports Club to join bitter rivals OH for the coming season. Mandenge is happy at his new home and believes he can turn around the fortunes of the former champions.

“I feel good and happy to be here at OH,” he said.

“I feel very much at home, this is a new challenge, sometimes I feel getting used to the same environments limits one’s chances of growing in the sport. Coaches move from one club to the other the world over but at the end of the day it should be the national team that unites us all.”

The Milton Park-based side will field two teams on Saturday.  

The Africa University rugby team is also expected to participate in the pre-season games alongside Police and some schools teams.