Namibia rugby suffer double blow

NAMIBIA were dealt a mammoth blow when star lock Heino Senekal and centre Bradley Langenhoven would be unlikely starters for the team’s Pool C encounter against France on Sunday.

Cornish Pirates lock Senekal, who is one of just five professional players in the Namibian team, pulled his calf muscle in the 22nd minute of the thrilling Pool D clash against Ireland at the weekend. Senekal’s gutsy performance was in a losing causing though as Namibia lost the match 32-17.Pukke back-line player Langenhoven suffered a suspected fractured finger in the same game.All hope is not lost however, as both players have a slight chance of being passed fit for game against the World Cup hosts on September 16.Meanwhile, Freeing his teammates from the surge of emotion and pressure which led to their downfall in the opening game will be the main objective of France captain Jean-Baptiste Elissalde on Sunday.Elissalde will lead the World Cup hosts in their Pool D match against Namibia following the 17-12 loss to Argentina in the tournament opener on Friday.”I want to be a tactical and technical captain not an emotional skipper,” said the scrumhalf, who was appointed captain when coach Bernard Laporte named a team with 13 changes on Wednesday.”We have had enough emotion.Let’s go back to the fundamentals of the game and we’ll make a big step forward.”Coach Bernard Laporte was heavily criticised by the media for putting his players under too much pressure before the Argentina game.The criticism followed news that Laporte had asked Clement Poitrenaud to read in front of the team a letter written to his parents by a 16-year-old hero of the resistance against Nazi Germany before his execution.The letter from Guy Moquet begins with the words: “My darling mum, my little brother, my beloved dad, I am going to die.””Maybe it was too much,” said Poitrenaud, who was not selected although he is the only specialist fullback in the squad.Poitrenaud has been recalled for the Namibia game.Nampa-AFPSenekal’s gutsy performance was in a losing causing though as Namibia lost the match 32-17.Pukke back-line player Langenhoven suffered a suspected fractured finger in the same game.All hope is not lost however, as both players have a slight chance of being passed fit for game against the World Cup hosts on September 16.Meanwhile, Freeing his teammates from the surge of emotion and pressure which led to their downfall in the opening game will be the main objective of France captain Jean-Baptiste Elissalde on Sunday.Elissalde will lead the World Cup hosts in their Pool D match against Namibia following the 17-12 loss to Argentina in the tournament opener on Friday.”I want to be a tactical and technical captain not an emotional skipper,” said the scrumhalf, who was appointed captain when coach Bernard Laporte named a team with 13 changes on Wednesday.”We have had enough emotion.Let’s go back to the fundamentals of the game and we’ll make a big step forward.”Coach Bernard Laporte was heavily criticised by the media for putting his players under too much pressure before the Argentina game.The criticism followed news that Laporte had asked Clement Poitrenaud to read in front of the team a letter written to his parents by a 16-year-old hero of the resistance against Nazi Germany before his execution.The letter from Guy Moquet begins with the words: “My darling mum, my little brother, my beloved dad, I am going to die.””Maybe it was too much,” said Poitrenaud, who was not selected although he is the only specialist fullback in the squad.Poitrenaud has been recalled for the Namibia game.Nampa-AFP

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