Log leaders FNB Wanderers and FNB Grootfontein both face tough encounters in the Namibia Rugby Premier League this weekend as teams battle it out to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
Wanderers, who lead the log on 51 points, face a tough home game against FNB Unam, who still have quite a bit of ground to make up if they hope to reach the knockout stages.
Unam are currently fifth on the log on 31 points – still seven points behind fourth-placed FNB Kudus – and will have to start winning some matches if they hope to make the semi-finals.
They had a slow start to the season winning just two of their first six matches, and by 20 June were trailing in seventh position on the log.
Since then, however, Unam’s fortunes have changed as they put together an unbeaten three-match run to move up to fifth place and within touching distance of the knockout stages.
Last weekend, they were in fine form, running in 10 tries to thump bottom-of-the-log FNB Western Suburbs 68-10 at home.
After the match, their captain Alcino Isaacs said they will take a lot of confidence from their recent winning streak and hope to surprise some teams going forward.
Wanderers on their home turf, however, will be a completely different proposition than Suburbs.
They currently lead Grootfontein by one point at the top of the log, while they also have a game in hand, and last weekend were at their destructive best when they beat Reho Falcon 90-7 at Rehoboth.
They have numerous national players in their squad, and may have too many aces in their pack, especially up front, but with Unam now in a battle for top-four survival they will be highly motivated for the match.
In their first-round encounter at Unam, Wanderers were pushed all the way before winning a thriller 51-42, and tomorrow’s encounter could once again be a classic.
Defending champions Kudus currently occupy the fourth position, but they too face a tough proposition when they host second-placed Grootfontein at Walvis Bay.
Despite their limited resources, Grootfontein have become one of the most consistent teams in the league, and a fortnight ago nearly shocked Wanderers in Windhoek before going down 33-31.
Kudus, however, are also on the up, winning their last two matches, and with the sides weighing up evenly in most departments a close battle can be expected.
Montego United, who are third on the log on 42 points, should strengthen their knockout hopes with a win when they host seventh-placed FNB Dolphins at the United ground in Windhoek.
United won their first leg encounter 50-19 at Swakopmund and playing on their home turf should be too strong for Dolphins who have won only two matches so far.
Sixth-placed FNB Rehoboth and eighth-placed FNB Reho Falcon meanwhile clash in the Rehoboth derby tomorrow, with Rehoboth now finally conceding defeat in their quest to make the semi-finals.
Last weekend they suffered a big blow when they were docked six points after failing to honour their match away to Grootfontein, and coach Brian Titus yesterday conceded that they have given up the chase for a semi-final spot.
“We had a lot of injuries while other players were unavailable due to funerals they had to attend, so we didn’t have enough players for the Grootfontein trip.
“We asked the Namibia Rugby Union if we could postpone the match, but they refused, so we were docked points, and now I don’t think it’s possible to make the semi-finals any more,” he said.
Titus, however, was not too perturbed, saying they are building for the future.
“We have a young squad and have actually done quite well so far. We have won four out of nine matches, while we only won three matches last season, so there is definite improvement.
“We will continue building and will aim for the semis next season,” he said.
The women’s rugby league is also in action tomorrow with a top-of-the-log clash between Wanderers and Unam at the Wanderers ground.
Wanderers currently lead the log on 29 points, but Unam are six points behind with two matches in hand, and a win tomorrow could put them in the driving seat heading into the final matches.
The two teams have been closely matched in recent encounters, with Unam winning the league last year, while Wanderers won the J&B Cup, and tomorrow’s match could once again go down to the wire.
