Hard work ahead for Welwitschias 

The Welwitschias’ journey towards a 2027 World Cup qualifying spot opened with a sobering 54-24 defeat to the Boland Cavaliers on Saturday. 

A new-look team of local-based players made promising debuts, but the slick Boland outfit was was just too strong and ran out comfortable winners. 

The match started on a solemn note with the singing of the Namibian anthem and a minute’s silence for founding president Sam Nujoma, and the sobering reality soon struck on the field of play when Boland scrumhalf Godlen Masimla broke through the backline to score after only two minutes. 

Hooker Sidney Tobias went over from a rolling maul to put them 14-0 ahead, but the Welwitschias opened their account when flanker Cameron Langenhoven broke through the defence and sent fullback Aston Mukwiilongo away for a try. 

Tobias added his second from another rolling maul and with Ashlon Davids adding the conversion the visitors went 19-7 ahead. 

The Welwitschias reduced the gap when Langenhoven went over from a rolling maul to the corner, but Masimla scored his second try after a flowing hand-to-hand attack, to put Boland 26-12 ahead by the halftime break. 

Both teams made wholesale changes in the second half, with Namibia fielding nearly a completely different line-up, and Boland gradually extended their lead. 

Tobias completed his hattrick, bashing over from a ruck, while further tries by wing Duren Hoffmann and loose-forwards Sauliegh Arendse and Khwezi Mafu put them 54-12 ahead, before the Welwitschias struck back with two consolation tries by hooker Edward Drotsky and winger Owen Hawanga. 

Welwitschia captain Danco Burger said it was a tough game. 

“We knew that Boland is a quality side, they play a lot of running rugby, so we knew what was coming. We ticked some boxes and did some good things, but obviously its a very young and inexperienced team, so it’s very good to get this opportunity and to build depth for Namiban rugby as well,” he said. 

The Namibia squad included several newcomers like the back three of Mukwiilongo, Hawanga and Jurgens Meyer, and forwards like Drotsky, Sydney Halupe, Bakkies Rossouw and Thiaart Lintvelt, who gave a promising display in the lineouts, and Burger said they did well. 

“I think they did vey well. At halftime we said need to put some more presure on their defence and that’s what they did for us. They are still inexperienced, but there’s a lot to take from this game to build on. On Monday it’s back to the drawing board, just to make sure that we work on the weaknesses that Boland showed us in our attack and defence.”

“We got what we wanted” – Burger 

Namibia’s Director of Rugby, Jacques Burger said there were a lot of positives to take from the game. 

“We got out of the game what we wanted. It’s the first game with an amateur group, local guys, who put in a lot of work, so for me it’s great to see where we are now and where we can go from here. You never know until you play the games and getting this first match under the belt is good for us,” he said. 

“I think we’ve seen a lot of positive things, there are also a lot of things to work on, but we can only get better from here. We gave a lot of boys opportunities to play competitive rugby, so we’ll keep on doing that and keep on trying to develop these guys and get them ready for the World Cup qualifiers,” he added. 

Burger said they are working on building their confidence.

“We talked about the belief, that’s something that comes with time, once you believe that you can compete against good teams and you can stay in the match for longer, then that’s when you get better. When you get that belief within yourself and your team, that’s when you get dangerous. That will come wih time but to get that match experience and to get out there on the pitch against a strong Boland team is very important, so we look forward to the next one to see how we can grow from here,” he said. 

Burger said he was impressed by their hard work and attitude. 

“I’m extremely proud of eveybody. We’ve got a great bunch of guys, we’ve got a lot to work on, but their attitude, the way they’ve come in early in the mornings before work and working till late in the evenings. So I’m extremely impressed by their work effort and we’ll get better, we’ll keep growing and come the World Cup qualifiers we’ll be ready to fire.”