Aranos, Torsten return a boost against Chile

Tight-head prop Aranos Coetzee, flanker Max Katjijeko and wing Chad Plato will get their first game time on the Namibian rugby tour in South America, when they line up in the starting team against Chile on Saturday.

The six-hour time difference means that the local kick-off time (17:00) in the Chilean city of Temuco is at 23:00 Namibian time.

Coach Allister Coetzee’s team selection has left Le Roux Malan (centre), Johan Luttig (loose forward) and Mahepisa Tjeriko (lock) as the unused three who will not get a chance to play on the tour.

Following the earlier defeats against Argentina-A (27-34) and against Uruguay (18-26), the coaching staff has mostly kept the same core group and only applied limited rotation, apart from forced changes due to injuries to scrumhalf Helarius Kisting (broken forearm ) and the hookers Torsten van Jaarsveld (swollen eye) and Gihard Visagie (calf muscle).

Van Jaarsveld has meanwhile recovered and is making his return.

Both Namibia’s (21st) and Chile’s (22nd) positions in the world rankings remained unchanged this week, while Uruguay (now 18th), despite its victory over Namibia last Saturday, fell by one position when the USA overtook it.

Namibia and Chile have not clashed in a rugby test before.

The Chileans qualified for World Cup participation in 2023 for the first time last year, at the expense of the USA.