THE Welwitschias face another tough assignment in this year’s Currie Cup qualifying tournament when they take on the Leopards in Potchefstroom on Friday afternoon.
The Welwitschias are still without a win in this year’s competition and rooted to the bottom of the log, although they managed to collect their first bonus point in a 55 25 defeat against the Griquas last weekend.
The Leopards are seemingly not much better off in 11th position on 12 points with two wins from their five matches to date but they underlined their potential with an impressive 34 22 away victory against Border Bulldogs last weekend.
The Bulldogs were amongst the early log leaders after winning their first three matches in a row, but since then they lost their next three matches to drop down to eighth position on the log.
In last weekend’s match in East London, they trailed 20 1 at half time to the Leopards who eventually ran in four tries to complete a comfortable victory.
The Leopards’ tries were scored by hooker Wilmar Arnoldi, full back Rhyno Smith, flanker Loftus Morrison and Namibian centre Johan Deysel.
Deysel, who starred for Namibia at the World Cup, scoring a try in their 58 14 defeat against the All Blacks, has been in fine form for the Leopards after being released by the Sharks earlier this season and has already scored three tries in their campaign.
The Welwitschias will also have to keep a close eye on Leopards full back Rhyno Smith who has excelled as an attacking player and an accurate place kicker. He is one of the top points scorers in the competition so far this season, and has scored numerous tries with his counter attacks from the back while his place kicking has been exceptional.
Against the Bulldogs he gave a near faultless kicking display with a penalty, four conversions, a try and an excellent drop goal from within his own half, as he racked up a personal tally of 19 points.
The Leopards also have a powerful pack where the likes of hooker Arnoldi, flankers Morrison and Tiaan Liebenberg and lock Walt Steenkamp have been in fine form.
Meanwhile, Welwitschias coach John Williams has made seven changes to his starting line up for Friday’s match which starts at 13h30 Namibian time at Olen Park in Potchefstroom.
Prop forward Casper Viviers, who represented Namibia at last year’s World Cup, makes his first appearance in the campaign after returning from club rugby in France, while Denzil van Wyk replaces the injured Tinus du Plessis at lock, and Joe Hermann returns in place of Herman Krause at flank.
Williams has reverted back to the half back combination of JC Winckler and Shawn Kaizemi, after Heinrich Smit failed to impress at fly half against Griquas last week, while centre JC Greyling and wing Russell van Wyk also return to the side in place of Darryl de la Harpe and Malcolm Moore.
The Welwitschias team is as follows:
Casper Viviers, Gerhard Lotter, AJ de Klerk, Muniovita Kasiringua, Denzil van Wyk, Rohan Kitshoff (captain), Joe Hermann, Leneve Damens, JC Winkler, Shawn Kaizemi, Phillip Nashikaku, Francois Wiese, JC Greyling, Russell van Wyk and Johan Tromp.
Substitutes:
Shaun du Preez, Quintin Esterhuizen, Ruan Ludick, Zane Groenewald, Cameron Klassen, Justin Nel and Heinrich Smit.
Nampa meanwhile reports that Namibia’s senior national team will start preparing for the 2016 Nations Cup, which takes place in Romania from 9 to 18 June, from next week.
Namibia will play against the defending champions Romania, Spain and Emerging Italy, while the other teams involved in the competition are Uruguay and an Argentinian XV.
Namibia won the Nations Cup in 2010, but could only manage a fourth place last year.
The competition, first held in Portugal in 2006, is aimed at providing more competition for tier one A sides like Italy and Argentina, as well as offering opportunities for second and third tier nations such as Portugal, Russia, Namibia, Uruguay, Georgia and Romania.
Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Namibia Rugby Union acting CEO Elizma Theron said players are expected to be in camp on Monday, 23 May.
“We are trying to get everyone here in the next few weeks. Our participation in recent tournaments of the Nations Cup did not yield many positive results so we want to work on our weaknesses, ” she said.
Theron added that Welwitschias’ head coach Phil Davies, who is currently in Wales, is expected to arrive in Windhoek on 19 May.
Davies will be assisted by strength and conditioning coach Wayne Proctor. Theron said it was high time Namibia claimed its place in the global rugby fraternity.
“I think we have proven ourselves internationally, but I believe that we can improve if we work harder so that we can improve our world ranking towards the next Rugby World Cup in 2019 [in Japan], because that is our main aim at the moment, ” she said.
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