Two massive semi-final battles await in the Windhoek Lager Rugby Premier League at Vegkop tomorrow, with FNB Unam taking on FNB Grootfontein, while FNB Wanderers face FNB Kudus.
With defending champions Trustco United having failed to make the semis, a new champion will be crowned this year, and Unam and Wanderers will start as the favourites after dominating the league.
Unam finished on top of the log on 77 points after winning 14 and losing only two of their league matches, while Grootfontein finished fourth on 45 points after winning seven and losing nine of their league matches.
Unam’s last league defeat came nearly three months ago when they lost 27-24 to Wanderers, but since then they’ve gone on an unbeaten streak of seven matches, raking in some impressive wins along the way, culminating in a 74-35 victory against Reho Falcon two weeks ago.
They probably have the most potent backline in the league that can counter-attack at an instant, but this year they have also beefed up their forward pack and are sure to win more than enough possession from the set-pieces.
The arrival of hooker Gerhard Thirion and loose-forward Handre Bezuidenhout has also played a role in their strong performances, with especially Thirion making an instant impact with his barging runs and inspiring leadership.
Along with other stalwarts like Gilad Plaatjies, Berry Gande, Daimando Tjombe and Graham April they have a pack of forwards to rank with the best, while their backline includes several match-winners like Shareave Titus, AJ Kearns, Alcino Izaaks, Aljarreau Zaahl and Quirione Majiedt, who has played his way into the national team with some scintillating performances.
Grootfontein, on the other hand, do not have Unam’s depth, but they have a strong pack of forwards and are confident of pulling off an upset, especially after giving Unam a close run in the league.
Unam won both encounters – 31-20 at Grootfontein, and 29-24 in Windhoek, but especially the latter match could have gone either way.
Grootfontein’s coach, JP Erasmus, says they are in confident mood.
“It won’t be easy. Unam are the favourites and we are the underdogs, but that suits us fine. Unam are not on top of the log by chance. They have played excellent rugby this year and deserve to be there.
“But we’ve got nothing to lose. All the pressure will be on them, and we are going to Windhoek to win,” he says.
Grootfontein’s pack will be weakened by the absence of props Nelius Theron and Renier Hattingh due to injury, but Erasmus yesterday confirmed that loose-forward Pieter Daan Kok and leftwing Lazarus Joseph are both back from injury.
Their captain, Wicus Jacobs, will definitely play after recovering from an ankle injury.
WANDERERS VS KUDUS
The other semi should be a humdinger between Wanderers, who finished second on the log on 75 points, after winning 14 matches and losing two, and Kudus, who finished third on 62 points with 12 wins and four defeats.
Both sides got a win against each other during the league, with Wanderers winning 35-25 in Windhoek on 23 March, while Kudus won 51-27 at Walvis Bay on 22 June.
Wanderers, however, were severaly depleted in the latter encounter, with more than 20 players unavailable due to injury or other commitments.
“We have prepared well and I believe we can win, but this is a knockout match, so it depends on who turns up on the day and who handles the pressure the best,” coach Dirk Human says.
He says they will be without loose-forwards Driaan Vorster, Prince !Gaoseb and Peter Diergaardt, who are injured.
“Driaan is definitely a non-starter, and although Prince and Peter’s injuries are not too bad, we don’t want to risk it, because they both got contracts abroad (Diergaardt in Italy and !Gaoseb in Romania), so we don’t want to endanger their futures,” he says.
Kudus, meanwhile, are at full strength and are desperate to make the final after being knocked out in the semis for the past two years.
Their national centre, Justin Newman, has returned from work commitments, and will join other experienced players, like Lloyd Jacobs, PJ Walters, Ashton Muukwilongo and Aurelio Plato in the backline.
Their pack has also been strengthened with the acquisition of national loose-forward Max Katjijeko and eighthman Ja-Tamson van den Berg from Boland, and along with stalwarts captain Cameron Langenhoven, Joshua Jacobs, Tertius Arangies and Jarren Koning they will fancy their chances.
Their secretary, Willie Muller, says they are ready for the challenge.
“We have prepared well and we are ready for Wanderers. There’s a great spirit among the boys, and you know we have the best supporters in the country who will be coming at full strength from the coast, so we are going to paint Vegkop blue,” he says.
“It’s the third year in a row that we’ve reached the semis.
“We have lost to Unam and United in close matches before, but we should have won both matches. It was just individual errors that cost us.
“We’ve talked with the players and prepared them mentally, so hopefully it will be third time lucky,” he says.
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