Champions Harare Sports Club sunk to a new low following an unexpectedly embarrassing performance in front of their home crowd against leaders Old Georgian’s Sports Club in the Harare Province Rigby League over the weekend.

The 52-5 defeat was their worst loss at the hands of the Dragons in more than 20 years.

A match that was billed to be a fierce battle between the two bitter rivals turned out to be a one sided affair, the Dragons putting up a classy show in their 52-5 destruction of the Red Lions while the Red Lions failed to justify their champions' tag.

No doubt the boot of former Sports Club fly-half Lenience Tambwera was key in their win supported by the experience of veterans Jacques Leitao, Fortune Chipendu and Peiter Joubert up front while Ryan Sparke, Boyd Rouse and Daniel Capsopoulos’s weighed in with stability in the three quarters.

“I was expecting a tougher challenge from Sports Club but it was a good challenge for us and we managed to come out with a win, something we had been working hard for not only over the past week but from pre-season as well.

“The result was because of a team effort from the number one (prop) to number 23 on the bench we all wanted a win and we got it. We are still on with our ultimate goal and that is making it for the Gold Cup,” said Tambwera.

It was a memorable night for coach Grant Mitchel and his charges who managed to turn the tables in their favour given that the Red Lions beat them the last time they met – in last season’s league final at ZB Sports Club.

With very little structure, if any at all, Sports Club only managed to breach the Dragon’s whitewash once with an unconverted try as they struggled in the absence of coach Daniel Hondo who was away in Bulawayo with St George’s College.

And that was a gift to the Dragons who scored at least 10 times more points than Harare Sports Club to remain top of the log with 20 points after four rounds of games in which they collected a bonus point in each of them.

Old Hararians also stayed in contention to finish the first half of the league as the team with a 76-6 thrashing of Mutare Sports Club at the same venue and they remain one point behind Old Georgians who they face the weekend.

Results: Harare Sports Club 5, Old Georgians 51; Old Hararians 76, MUtare Sports Club 6; Old Johannians 29, Police Defenders 19.

 Latest Standings

                                                           P             W           L              F               A        B             Pts         

Old Georgians                             4          4          0          221       12      4              20

Old Hararians                             4          4          0           173       47       3            19

Harare Sports Club                      4          2           2         113         104     3            11

Old Johannians                           4          2            2         87          152     2            10

Mutare Sports Club                     4           0           4          56         207      2              2

Police Defenders                           4             2             4            37          165      0              0