Boland dishes out lessons to undercooked Welwitschias

Much work remains to be done to ensure Namibia will be at its best in July 2025 during the continental qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The training squad of locally-based players was beaten 54-24 by the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers on Saturday, in a preparation match played without spectators at Windhoek’s Hage Geingob Stadium due to Namibia's current period of mourning the passing of its Founding President Sam Nujoma.The visitors applied their strengths and made their advantage in match readiness count. Just two weekends before, the Cavaliers had beaten the Stormers’ “B” side 35-13, again showing why they have been the reigning Currie Cup first-division title holders of 2024 and 2023.In contrast, while the local national training squad has been hard at work on fitness and alignment since early January, most Namibian players will have played virtually no matches since the NRU premier league final in middle September 2024.From the local options, locks Adriaan Ludick and Johan Retief, as well as loose-forwards Prince !Gaoseb and Max Katjijeko were the latest departures to join up with clubs in Romania, while hooker Obert Nortje is understood to be unavailable due to work commitments.Boland maintained their unbeaten record for the sixth match in a row against Namibian teams since 2001.On Saturday, the South Africans dominated the scrums, while two of their hooker Sidney Tobias’ three tries were scored off lineout mauls. The Boland jumpers’ disruption of the Namibian lineouts also caused the home side to lose probably close to half of their own throws.The Welwitschias were on the back foot after just two minutes when scrumhalf Jacques Theron’s attempted pass from behind a scrum was kicked through by his opposite number Godlen Masimla, who also beat fullback Aston Mukwiilongo in the race to dot down for the first try.Flank Cameron Langenhoven stole a turnover and made a linebreak from which Mukwiilongo went over to score for the Welwitschias after 19 minutes, while Langenhoven added the second try when the Namibians drove their lineout maul over the corner flag ten minutes later.However, Boland already took control by halftime (26-12) with two lineout maul tries by Tobias, while scrumhalf Masimla rounded off a typical counter-attacking support play move for his second try just before the break. Boland flyhalf Ashlon Davids contributed three conversions, before being replaced by James Tedder for the second half.Wholesale replacements of the Welwitschias backline coincided with Boland hooker Tobias adding his third try to later be named player of the match. The Cavaliers right wing Duren Hoffman’s try off a cross-kicked stretched their points total past forty, before replacement forward Sauleigh Arendse and flank Khwezi Mafu also got on the scoreboard, for Tedder to contribute his fourth and final conversion.From 12-54 down, the Namibians restored a measure of credibility by adding the last two tries by hooker Edward Drotsky and left wing Jurgen Meyer.Welwitschias captain Danco Burger said they knew Boland is a quality side that would exploit any mistakes. “Still, I’m happy for our players that got their first exposure at a higher level ... this is where all of us had started. As a team and a union we’ll use the experience to build and improve and move forward.”Head coach Chrysander Botha took heart from seeing his side stay in the fight for most of the first half. Among the younger generation, flank Thehard Lintvelt was one who got stuck in with a good work rate. “There were some standout performances, but we’ll go back and review and take the pointers to improve,” Botha said.

Boland dishes out lessons to undercooked Welwitschias

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Boland dishes out lessons to undercooked Welwitschias

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