Africa-Press – Namibia. FNB Kudus host FNB Wanderers at Walvis Bay in the Rugby Premier League tomorrow in a top-of-the-log clash that could have a significant bearing on the outcome of this year’s title race.
The two sides have been the pace-setters so far this season with Kudus leading the log on 51 points, followed by Wanderers on 50, while Unam trail in third place on 42 points.
Although the outcome of the match won’t have much of an impact on the title race, with both teams assured of their places in the knockout stages, the opposing coaches have vowed to go all out for victory.
“We want to measure ourselves against the top sides in the league and are looking forward to the challenge,” Kudus coach Gawan Esterhuizen said.
“We are having a good season and I don’t think it will be a good sign if we take our foot off the accelerator now. We really want to beat Wanderers and build momentum towards the end of the season,” he added.
Esterhuizen said they have a few injury niggles, but was hopeful that they will have a full-strength squad at their disposal, which should include several current and former national squad players like the Plato brothers ,Chad and Aurelio, the centres PJ Walters and Justin Newman, and the loose forwards Joshua Jacobs and captain Cameron Langenhoven.
The forward battle will be key, but with other experienced forwards like Shaun White, Lezardo Voss and Charlton Brussel to call upon, Esterhuizen feels that they can match Wanderers up front.
“Our forwards have been working hard and I know our pack can match Wanderers. They have shown a lot of courage this season and I know they won’t stand back and allow Wanderers to dominate them,” he said.
“With my coaching staff Hauta Veii and Quinton Simon, we have created a self-belief and winning mentality and if we remain focussed on creating a team culture, we can achieve greatness as a team,” he added.
Wanderers coach Rohan Kitshoff said they are aiming for victory and hoped to field their strongest side.
“We have a few niggles so we’ll see at tonight’s practise, but obviously we want to field our strongest team because it’s going to be a great challenge. With the knockout stages just a few weeks away, we are now reaching the stage of the season where the guys are starting to realise the importance of each game and I’d say they’ve had a mental switch that has made them sharper.”
With national players like Herschelle van Wyk, Obert Nortje, Thomasau Forbes, Jacques Theron, Andre van der Berg and JC Greyling back in the fold, Wanderers have a strong line-up and Kitshoff said they were looking good going into the final stage of the season.
“I’ve been very impressed with our half-backs, Jacques Theron and Andre van der Berg, but we have had a lot of other stalwarts this season like Driaan Vorster, Obert Nortje, Thomasau Forbes and our captain Christo van der Merwe who has been a great leader, so I think we are well-balanced and in a good position.”
Kudus shocked Wanderers in the first round with a 29-25 victory in Windhoek, but Kitshoff said they had learnt from that defeat and grown stronger.
“That defeat really hurt, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but we learnt a lot and we have grown as a team since then. It’s going to be a big challenge to take them on in Walvis Bay with their home crowd cheering them on, so we are expecting a very tough match and we’ll have to be at our best to win. But I think it’s a blessing in disguise that we can play the top side now, so that we can start getting used to the pressure that will come later in the semis,” he said.
Unam, meanwhile, will be aiming for maximum bonus points when they host bottom-of-the-log FNB Reho Falcon, while Rehoboth will also be firm favourites when they host Trustco United at Rehoboth.
Fourth-placed FNB Western Suburbs, however, can expect a tough battle when they host sixth-placed FNB Grootfontein at the Hage Geingob Stadium, with both teams still in the running for a semifinal place.
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