DURBAN - The Beastie Boy, as he is known among his teammates, will earn his 134th Super Rugby cap for the Sharks this weekend in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs and he is as hungry as ever to galvanise the Sharks pack into action from loosehead prop.
Tendai, as he is known to his mother and his wife, is now 31 and is a unique fixture in South African rugby in that he has not fallen for the Euro, pound or yen.
The usual departure threshold for players that have given up on making the Boks is about 25.
Mtawarira has 87 caps for the Springboks and he is not going anywhere other than Bloemfontein on Saturday.
“I had an early break last week (as part of the agreement with Saru and the provincial franchises regarding contracted Boks), and I am as fit and fresh as I have ever been,” he said.
“I can’t wait to get stuck in to what is amounting to a huge game between us and a hurting Cheetahs team (they were hammered by the Jaguares in Argentina last week).
The Sharks made a few changes last week, some of them injury-enforced and some as part of the Saru policy to rest contracted Boks, but this week Mtawarira says there will be no excuses from the team.
“Coach Robert (du Preez) wanted to give guys a chance but it is not the fault of individuals that we ended up with a performance that we are not proud of,” The Beast said. “Make no mistake, coach Robert has had us working very hard on making the required improvements before we tackle the Cheetahs.”
Watching from the stands, Mtawarira agreed that he had a sinking feeling as his teammates started meekly and allowed the Kings into the game - a cardinal error when a strong team is playing against a weaker side.
“We have to be honest. There was complacency and we did not take the game seriously enough while the Kings were outstanding. Let us give respect when it is due,” the burly, former Zimbabwean said. “We are back on track with our focus and we feel the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein will be our toughest challenge this year,” he said.
The Sharks have so far played the Reds and Brumbies away and the Waratahs and Kings at home. Next week they travel to the Lions at Ellis Park, and they will be desperate to build momentum going into that match.
“There are going to be sore bodies after this match,” The Beast warned. “We are focussing on intensity and they will be wanting to replicate the intensity that won them the game against the Bulls (in round two). This is a good opportunity to play attacking rugby but first we have to get possession.
“The Cheetahs will play a very positive game and will test our defence, and we have to be scrambling in cover defence as well as making our first-time tackles,” Mtawarira said. “Our aim is ensure they do not have easy tries. You can’t let the Cheetahs have width and depth to attack. We must have numbers on the line all the time to shut them down.”