New coach, captain for Namibia
After the departure of coach John Williams, Namibia has appointed a new coach in Johan Diergaardt and he has chosen his first team for a Test against Russia in the Hage Geingob stadium in Windhoek on 23 January.
Diergaardt replaced John Williams as Namibia’s coach after Williams returned to South Africa to coach the Valke. Diergaardt was one of his assistants. Williams has been offered the opportunity to be a consultant to the team in the lead-up to the World Cup and at the World Cup.
As the World Cup approaches, Namibia, who have already qualified, will want as many match opportunities as possible. And Russia are preparing for the European Nations Cup in which they have a good chance of qualifying for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Russia are, as they regularly do, preparing in Pretoria and played – and lost 36-21 to the Blue Bulls team preparing for the Vodacom Cup in South Africa, a competition which will include Namibia this year.
Namibia are without several of their top players who are playing overseas – captain Kees Lensing, Jacques Burger, Jacques Nieuwenhuis, Tinus du Plessis and Piet van Zyl. Diergaardt has appointed experienced prop Jané du Toit as the captain and it has enabled to bring in four uncapped players – two in the starting XV and three on the bench.
The new players in the starting XV are flanks André Vermeulen and Tomashu Forbes. The trio on the bench are lock/flank Renaud van Neel, scrumhalf Eniel Buitendag and threequarter Daryl de la Harpe.
Vermeulen and his twin brother Braam are back in Windhoek after studying in South Africa. Their father, Braam, played lock for Namibia. Forbes is studying at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. Van Neel toured with the Namibian side to Portugal and Tunisia without playing a Test. Buitendag, the son of a famous Namibian scrumhalf, played for Western Province Under-19 last season when he was at Stellenbosch. De la Harpe is also a promising player of a well-known rugby family in Namibia.
Diergaardt said: “We’ve got a formidable team together for this match. I expect my team to be focussed and lay a good foundation for the Vodacom Cup.”
Namibia have a bust year ahead. Then they hope to play the Cheetahs Super 14 side or a Bulls B side, and have Tests lined up against Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium in November as well as taking part in the IRB’s Nations Cup tournament in Romania in June.
Namibia: 15 Chrysander Botha, 14 McGrath van Wyk, 13 Bradley Langenhoven, 12 David Philander, 11 Llewellyn Winkler, 10 Emile Wessels, 9 Eugene Jantjies, 8 PJ van Lill, 7 Tomashu Forbes, 6 André Vermeulen, 5 Nico Esterhuizen, 4 Wacca Kazombiaze, 3 Jané du Toit (captain), 2 Hugo Horn, 1 Johnny Redelinghuys.
Replacements: 16 Shaun Esterhuizen, 17 Marius Visser, 18 Heinz Koll, 19 Renaud van Neel, 20 Eniel Buitendag, 21 Tinus Venter, 22 Daryl de la Harpe.
Information from Die Republikein
