Last four standing 

The Namibian Rugby Premier League heads towards its culmination at the Hage Geingob Stadium tomorrow when the remaining four semifinalists battle it out for a place in the final. 

FNB Kudus take on FNB Grootfontein in the first semi at 14h30, while FNB Wanderers take on Trustco United at 16h15. 

With former national u20 coach Roger Thompson taking over as director of rugby this year, Kudus have developed into a formidable side that only lost two matches througout the season. That was a narrow 32-31 defeat to United on 5 April and a 27-10 defeat to Wanderers on 17 May, while they beat Grootfontein 33-27 in their league encounter on 3 May. 

Kudus narrowly missed out on the final over the past two years and are highly motivated to make it count this time, according to their secretary Wilfried Muller:

“Confidence is surging through the Kudus camp as we finalize preparations for our crucial semi-final clash this Saturday. Despite facing significant hurdles, the team believes they are perfectly positioned to surpass last season’s achievements and secure a coveted spot in the final in the premier league,” he said. 

“The journey to the semi-finals hasn’t been without disruption. Holiday periods presented unexpected training challenges, but the commitment of the Kudus squad shone through with many players balancing demanding work schedules in companies operating through the holidays,” he added. 

The team will be without their inspirational captain Cameron Langenhoven and influential flyhalf Kyle Wentzel who are both injured, but they have been bolstered by the return of halfback Michael Koopman from work commitments and Muller said they are highly motivated for the match. 

“This weekend is a moment of immense pride for our entire club. We’ve overcome disruptions and key absences through depth; the boys have trained well, the belief is tangible and we are ready to go a step further,” he said. 

Grootfontein clinched their semifinal place after beating Rehoboth 41-39 last weekend and captain Wicus Jacobs said it was the perfect preparation for the semis. 

“The game was a thriller, Rehoboth came for us from the start and the lead changed throughout. They played very well, they played as if it was a quarterfinal so I take my hat off for them. They gave a great performance and provided us an opportunity to prepare well for this weekend’s game, and show us where there are still errors and what we need to improve,” he said. 

“We have two injuries – AJ Vercuil broke his ankle last weekend and Justin Pollman broke his collarbone, but besides that we are at full strength. We respect Kudus and I think its going to be a great game. They play a very similar game to us, so in the end it will be about which team executes their forward facets andgame plan the best,” he added. 

Wanderers will start as favourites against United, after remaining unbeaten throughout the season and finishing well clear of the chasing pack at the top of the log. 

United on the other hand won four and lost four of their league matches, while they just scraped into the semis. Wanderers, however, bring out the best in their traditional rivals and despite losing their league encounter 47-24 on 10 May, United pushed Wanderers all the way.  

Wanderers coach Dirk Human said they are well prepared and looking forward to the encounter. 

“We are very excited, but a semi is another ball-game altogether, so we will be tested thoroughly and I think it will be a different United team to the one that we beat in the derby,” he said.  

“The spirit is high, our preparations have gone well and I think we are ready for the onslaught and hopefully we can make the final,” he added.  

Wanderers will be strengthened by the return of Adriaan Booysen and Jacques Theron, who were rested last weekend, but they still have a few injury concerns according to Human.

“Danie van der Merwe is still out with a niggling injury, and we must assess Denzo Bruwer who is out with a knee injury, and Kian Bayer who is also out, but we are very excited that Liam Compion has recovered, so he’ll be back in the starting line-up,” he said.  

The Premier Luegue semis will be preceded by the Reserve League semis with Wanderers II taking on Kudus II at 11h00, while Unam II take on Dolphins II at 12h45. 

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