COACH Danie Vermeulen says he expects a tough match when his side takes on South African Universities in Windhoek on Saturday afternoon.
The match will serve as preparation for Namibia’s African World Cup qualifiers against Morocco and Senegal next month.’They [SA Universities] have selected a very good side and we are in for a tough match,’ Vermeulen told Namibia Sport.’They have a very good coach in Chean Roux and I’m expecting them to play a fast and open game by running the ball a lot,’ he added.Vermeulen this week announced the Namibian team, which will be captained by flanker Tinus du Plessis for the first time, in the absence of Jacques Burger who is still injured.Du Plessis had a great season with English Premier League club Wasps and had his contract renewed in March, and according to Vermeulen he was a ‘logical choice’ as captain.’Tinus has a lot of experience, playing professionally in England, and this, coupled with his knowledge and decision making in match situations made him the logical choice for me,’ he said.Besides Du Plessis, the Namibian team includes eight other players who were in action at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.The forwards are Wanderers prop Johnny Redelinghuys, the lock pairing of Henk Franken and Heinz Koll and Wanderers eighthman PJ van Lill.The backs include scrumhalf Eugene Jantjies, flyhalf Theuns Kotze, and wings Chrysander Botha and Danie Dames.With Redelinghuys the only remaining front ranker available from the World Cup squad, Vermeulen has brought Callie Swanepoel, Collen Smith and Martin Goeieman from United for the first time.The team will also see a new centre pairing in Roger Thompson of Western Suburbs and Anthony Jevu of Kudus after none of Namibia’s World Cup centres were selected.The match takes place at the Hage Geingob National Rugby Stadium on Saturday, June 23, starting at 14h00. It will be preceded by three schools’ matches, with Pionierspark playing El Natan in an under-11 match at 10h00; Pionierspark playing Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool in an under-13 match at 10h50; and Windhoek High School playing Dr Lemmer in an under-19 match at 11h40. – namibiasport.com.na
