Namibia change for Samoa
Namibia on Monday announced their team to take on Samoa in a World Cup Pool D match in Rotorua on Wednesday, showing three changes to the team which lost 49-25 against Fiji in their opener.
Out go Nico Esterhuyse, Tinus du Plessis and Conrad Marais, but Hugo Horn is back for his ninth World Cup match, leaving him just one match short of the Namibian record held by Heino Senekal, who played in three tournaments.
Theuns Kotze’s 15 points in Namibia’s opening match leaves him just seven short of his country’s individual points-scorers’ record, both at a single World Cup and in a World Cup career.
The Varsity Cup star – for UJ and formerly of Pukke – has been selected again at flyhalf and will go past Lean van Dyk’s record of 22 points by scoring eight against Samoa.
Lock Henk Franken, No.8 PJ van Lill and Llewellyn Winkler all make their first tournament starts but Franken will be the only one of the three to make his World Cup debut.
Jacques Nieuwenhuis switches from No.8 to flank to accommodate van Lill in the back row.
Namibia: 15 Chrysander Botha, 14 Danie Dames, 13 Danie van Wyk, 12 Piet van Zyl, 11 Llewellyn Winkler, 10 Theuns Kotze, 9 Eugene Jantjies, 8 Pieter Jan van Lill, 7 Jacques Burger (captain), 6 Jacques Nieuwenhuis, 5 Henk Franken, 4 Heinz Koll, 3 Raoul Larson, 2 Hugo Horn, 1 Johnnie Redelinghuys.
Replacements: 16 Bertus O’Callaghan, 17 Jane du Toit, 18 Nico Esterhuyse, 19 Rohan Kitshoff, 20 Ryan de la Harpe, 21 Darryl de la Harpe, 22 TC Losper.
Date: Wednesday, September 14
Venue: International Stadium, Rotorua
Kick-off: 14.30 (02.30 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Jérôme Garces (France)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
