Namibia’s national rugby team on Tuesday welcomed Helarius Kisting to the Team Base Camp in Aix-les-Bains, France.
Kisting’s inclusion to the 33-man squad comes after Chad Plato suffered an unfortunate Grade 2 to 3 hamstring tear during the Vodacom Bulls match in Windhoek a few days prior to the team’s departure, excluding him from play for six to eight weeks.
Kisting fractured his arm in South America and the medical advice received was that he could return to play after six weeks, thus making him available for the last two matches in France against the host nation and Uruguay.
“The fact that we brought in Helarius tells us that there is enough wing cover and that we have enough utility players in that position. We are very excited to have him back and work with him,” Namibia head coach Allister Coetzeesaid.
Two players that formed part of the camp series, namely Herman Agenbag and Jay-Cee Nel have not been named in the 33-man squad. At this point in time, they remain on a waiting list while awaiting documentation that is outstanding to be eligible and receive their passports.
“We have settled in very well at our Team Base in Aix-les-Bains, a beautiful picturesque city that is conducive to preparing for the Rugby World Cup. The official welcome ceremonyand reception was outstanding and according to some players probably one of the biggest attended that a Namibian team has ever experienced. The community has gone out of their way to accommodate us and it’s been a humbling experience. The environment and facilities are good, and there is nothing we can complain about,” Coetzee said.
“Our training sessions have gone well, with great improvement every time. We have adjusted our training times to closely match game times so that we work in similar conditions, looking at all bits and pieces to set the players up for success. The players are really looking forward to playing a match and the coaches have worked hard to put the game plan in place and ensure clarity amongst all the players. We face a strong Italian side on Saturday which will be a challenge for us, but we would like to start well in the competition,” he added. – NRU
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