Danie not happy with inactivity of national side

NAMIBIA’S rugby coach, Danie Vermeulen, yesterday expressed unhappiness at the lack of activity of the national team since February this year, saying that it affected their performance every time they had to play on a big stage.

Vermeulen has selected a Namibian Invitational team that is expected to play against a South African A side in a friendly match at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium this Saturday. Vermeulen told The Namibian Sport yesterday that national team players do not improve their game if they did not face strong opposition on a regular basis.Namibia played their last competitive match against Morocco in an African Confederations Cup in Casablanca in February this year.”Players need to play more often on a big stage to better their game and to stay in tune.Since we intend to play in the Vodacom Cup (South Africa) next year, we need to play as many games as possible against tougher opposition,” he said.Namibia once played in the Vodacom Cup a few years ago, but financial difficulties made it impossible for the country to send a team to the prestigious event.Namibia did therefor not play under the country’s banner but as a ‘Presidents’ team.This year, Vermeulen said, they might return to action in that competition if the financial aspect was been sorted at by the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU).For the match on Saturday, the Namibian Invitational side will consist of five South-African-born players.Vermeulen said the players, some of whom have played for the Springboks in the past, had been invited to perform for the invitational team.He insisted that membership in the invitational side – were he will coach some of the players on the day – was simply by invitation and there was nothing wrong with having five foreigners in the team.The teams were announced as follows:Namibia Invitational Side: Kees Lensing, Cor van Tonder, Lawrence Sephaka (SA), Willem Stolz (SA), Albert van den Berg (SA), Herman Lintvelt (v/c), Jacques Burger, Schalk vd Merwe, Dave van Onselin (SA), Morne Schreuder, Rian van Wyk, Corne Powell (c ), Du Preez Grobler, Deon Mouton, Willem de Waal (SA), Rene Kruger, Jood Opperman, Robert Teary, Leon van Wyk, Jurie van Tonder, Neil Swanepoel and Dewald Myburg.Coach: Danie VermeulenSouth Africa A: Christo Bezeuidenhout, Danie Coetzee, CJ van der Linde, Gerry Britz, Geo Cronje, Kabamba Floors, Wicus van Heerden, Adri Badenhorst, Neil de Kock, Werner Greef, Odwa Ndungane, Adrian Jacobs, Ettiene Botha, Breyton Paulse, Conrad Jantjes, Gerry Botha, Ginhtro Steenkamp, Danie Rossouw, Solly Tyibilika, Henrico January, Andre Pretorius, Jorrie Muller.Coach: Rudi JoubertVermeulen told The Namibian Sport yesterday that national team players do not improve their game if they did not face strong opposition on a regular basis.Namibia played their last competitive match against Morocco in an African Confederations Cup in Casablanca in February this year.”Players need to play more often on a big stage to better their game and to stay in tune.Since we intend to play in the Vodacom Cup (South Africa) next year, we need to play as many games as possible against tougher opposition,” he said.Namibia once played in the Vodacom Cup a few years ago, but financial difficulties made it impossible for the country to send a team to the prestigious event.Namibia did therefor not play under the country’s banner but as a ‘Presidents’ team.This year, Vermeulen said, they might return to action in that competition if the financial aspect was been sorted at by the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU).For the match on Saturday, the Namibian Invitational side will consist of five South-African-born players.Vermeulen said the players, some of whom have played for the Springboks in the past, had been invited to perform for the invitational team.He insisted that membership in the invitational side – were he will coach some of the players on the day – was simply by invitation and there was nothing wrong with having five foreigners in the team.The teams were announced as follows:Namibia Invitational Side: Kees Lensing, Cor van Tonder, Lawrence Sephaka (SA), Willem Stolz (SA), Albert van den Berg (SA), Herman Lintvelt (v/c), Jacques Burger, Schalk vd Merwe, Dave van Onselin (SA), Morne Schreuder, Rian van Wyk, Corne Powell (c ), Du Preez Grobler, Deon Mouton, Willem de Waal (SA), Rene Kruger, Jood Opperman, Robert Teary, Leon van Wyk, Jurie van Tonder, Neil Swanepoel and Dewald Myburg.Coach: Danie VermeulenSouth Africa A: Christo Bezeuidenhout, Danie Coetzee, CJ van der Linde, Gerry Britz, Geo Cronje, Kabamba Floors, Wicus van Heerden, Adri Badenhorst, Neil de Kock, Werner Greef, Odwa Ndungane, Adrian Jacobs, Ettiene Botha, Breyton Paulse, Conrad Jantjes, Gerry Botha, Ginhtro Steenkamp, Danie Rossouw, Solly Tyibilika, Henrico January, Andre Pretorius, Jorrie Muller.Coach: Rudi Joubert