NAMIBIA’S national rugby team leaves for Abidjan today in preparation for Saturday’s crucial World Cup qualifying match against the Ivory Coast.
It will be a crucial encounter as the loser over the two legs home and away will be knocked out of the race for a place at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The return leg takes place in Windhoek on June 27.
National coach John Williams has selected a powerful and experienced squad, which includes 10 players who represented Namibia at the 2007 World Cup in France. All eight forwards who have been selected in the starting line-up were in action in France, while scrumhalf Jurie van Tonder and centre Piet van Zyl are the other two in the squad.
Kees Lensing will captain the team from the front row while the other forwards include the experienced lock combination of Wacca Kazombiaze and Nico Esterhuyse and the excellent loose trio of Tinus du Plessis, Jacques Nieuwenhuis and Jacques Burger.
Some of the younger members in the squad include Western Suburbs winger McGrath van Wyk, Suburbs’ flyhalf Godwin Walters, Kudus fullback Chrysander Botha and former Suburbs winger Llewellyn Winckler, who now plays for Stellenbosch University.
Besides the experienced forwards, the squad includes an exciting backline with players like Botha, Winckler, David Philander and McGrath van Wyk all capable of scoring tries from quick counterattacks. With Suburbs’ attacking flyhalf Godwin Walters expected to start, one can expect Namibia to do a lot of attacking through their backline. McGrath van Wyk, who is the leading points scorer in the MTC Rugby Premier League and Chrysander Botha are both reliable goal kickers and are expected to share the kicking duties.
Williams told Namibia Sport that he had not seen the Ivory Coast in action yet and did not know what to expect from them, but he was confident that Namibia would do well.
‘I know nothing about the Ivory Coast team, but our players are well prepared, they are fit and looking forward to the match. We are prepared for a tough match and the players are highly motivated,’ he said.
Williams said he was satisfied with the development of some of the younger members in the squad, after players like Chrysander Botha, Jurie van Tonder and Johnny Redelinghuys came on as second half substitutes in the historic match against the Springboks on May 29.
‘I think the guys who played against the Springboks showed a lot of maturity and the younger players gained a lot of self confidence in that match,’ he said.
Centre Tinus Venter is a late addition to the squad after Luwayne Botes withdrew due to personal reasons.
The match is due to start at 16h00 local time on Saturday, which is 17h00 Namibian time.
The expected starting line-up:
Chrysander Botha, McGrath van Wyk, Piet van Zyl, David Philander, Llewellyn Winckler, Godwin Walters, Jurie van Tonder, Tinus du Plessis, Jacques Burger, Jacques Nieuwenhuis, Nico Esterhuyse, Wacca Kazombiaze, Marius Visser, Hugo Horn, Kees Lensing.
Substitutes:
Tinus Venter, Jacky Bock, Eugene Jantjies, PJ van Lill, Andre de Klerk, Johnny Redelinghuis, Shaun Esterhuizen.
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