Rugby team to take on Tunisia

THE Namibian rugby team left for Portugal on Monday en route to Tunisia for their crucial World Cup qualifying match against Tunisia on Saturday, November 14.

Namibia will play Portugal in Lisbon this coming Saturday, November 7, in a test match that will serve as preparation for the final African qualifier against Tunisia the following week.The first qualifier takes place in Tunis on November 14 while the return leg will take place in Windhoek on November 28. The aggregate winner over the two legs will qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup which will be held in New Zealand.At a press conference in Windhoek just before the team’s departure, team manager Sarel Losper said the Test match against Portugal would play an important role in helping to prepare the team for the Tunisia encounter.The bulk of the Namibian team left for Portugal on Monday evening and will be joined by several European-based internationals in Lisbon during the week.Prop Kees Lensing and centre Piet van Zyl, who both play for French clubs, will join the team on Wednesday, while English-based Jacques Nieuwenhuys, Tinus du Plessis and Hugo Horn will join the team on Thursday, along with Emile Wessels who will join the team from Australia.Namibian teams have been ill treated in Tunisia ahead of previous World Cup qualifying matches, but Losper does not think this will happen again.Losper said that Portugal would provide a very good test for Namibia. Portugal are currently ranked 20th in the world, while Namibia is ranked 25th, but Namibia has won both previous encounters between the two nations.Losper said the team was well prepared and that they were confident that they would succeed.’We are aware that the eyes of our countrymen and women are on us to do our nation proud and I can comfortably say that we are set, ready and confident and will do our utmost best. The Namibia Rugby Union’s executive, staff, our team management and the team – all of us – are set on making this win a reality. We know that this qualifier will usher in a new dawn for the NRU. A win will fit in very well with our new strategic objectives and will undoubtedly shape a new beginning,’ he said. – www.namibiasport.com.na