New Zealand v Namibia preview: All Blacks to bounce back in style against Welwitschias

David Skippers
New Zealand v Namibia preview pic RWC 2023.jpg

New Zealand lock Sam Whitelock and Namibia fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel.

New Zealand will be determined to get their Rugby World Cup campaign back on track when they face Namibia in their Pool A encounter in Toulouse on Friday.

After suffering their first ever loss during the pool stages of a World Cup in last week’s tournament opener against France, the All Blacks are expected to bounce back in style against the Welwitschias, who are amongst the minnows at the global showpiece.

That early setback against Les Bleus means the All Blacks will almost certainly finish second in the pool behind the tournament hosts and after starting their World Cup campaign on a low note, don’t be surprised if they rack up a big score in this fixture.

With a plethora of stars in his matchday squad, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster knows that a victory is a mere formality but he will be hoping his troops achieve that goal with the type of performance which issues a warning to other teams at the World Cup that his side are still in the reckoning for honours in the grander scheme of things.

Meanwhile, Namibia’s World Cup campaign also started on a bad note as they suffered a 52-8 defeat to Italy in their tournament opener, but the end result is not a fair reflection on that match.

The Welwitschias were competitive for long periods and were trailing 17-8 at half-time before a strong finish from the Azzurri during the latter stages of the second half saw them pulling away from their opponents.

However, they face a much tougher challenge against All Blacks and their main goal will be to keep the score as low as possible, which will be no mean feat against an All Blacks side who will be smarting after their loss to France.

Ultimately, this encounter should be a bridge too far for the Namibians and although they will be giving their all, they know that it’s highly unlikely that they will be a threat to the All Blacks.

The Welwitschias will therefore hope to get this match out of the way and turn their focus to their next game, against Uruguay on September 27 – a match in which a victory will be momentous occasion as it will be their first ever World Cup triumph.

Last time they met

What they said

All Black number eight Ardie Savea, who continues as the team’s captain while regular skipper Sam Cane is still injured, is preparing for a stern physical battle against Namibia but is keen for his side to rebound in style after their poor start to the World Cup.

“They have big men who don’t step, they just run downhill,” he said. “That is something we have identified as a team, and defence as one of their strengths.

“I want the guys to go out there and do their job, express themselves, but also it is an opportunity to really bounce back.”

Meanwhile, Namibia head coach Allister Coetzee is aware that a difficult task lies in wait for his players but said they will embrace that challenge.

“We knew it was a tough pool,” said Coetzee. “It is not scary, we really get excited about it.

“New Zealand are taking this game seriously. It is good for the competition.

“It is a great opportunity for our players and we are excited to play against them.”

Players to watch

It will be a momentous occasion for veteran New Zealand second-row Sam Whitelock when he takes to the field in this fixture as he is set to play in his 148th international and, in doing so, he will equal his country’s Test appearance record which is currently held by legendary former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. Whitelock is set to retire from Test rugby after the World Cup but is on course to reach 150 Test caps at the global showpiece that would put him in second place in the all-time Test appearance list behind former Wales second-row Alun Wyn Jones.

Another player from the three-time world champions to keep an eye on is rookie scrum-half Cam Roigard, who will make his first run-on appearance for the All Blacks after previously playing his previous two matches off the replacements bench. At the age of 22, Roigard is the youngest member of the All Blacks’ 33-man playing squad at the World Cup but he is a valued member of the group, who was called up to the Test side after shining at Super Rugby Pacific level for the Hurricanes. He scored a stunning try against the Springboks and will be keen to build on that effort against the Welwitschias.

Meanwhile, experienced inside centre David Havili returns to New Zealand’s run-on side after playing off the replacements bench in that loss to Les Bleus last week. Havili has overcome some injury setbacks which kept him on the sidelines for the bulk of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign and the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship and World Cup warm-up matches. Blessed with an excellent skill-set, this is an ideal match for Havili to get back into the groove of international rugby and he will be keen to put in a polished display to remind All Blacks coach Foster of his ability ahead of the bigger matches later on at the global showpiece.

Although Namibia will be overwhelming underdogs, they have some exciting players in their ranks and leading their attacking onslaught is fly-half Tiaan Swanepoel, who was one of their better players in their loss to Italy in Saint-Etienne last week. The 27-year-old, who plies his trade with the Lions in the United Rugby Championship, finished with 70 metres gained against Italy from 17 runs and will be hoping for a similar performance against New Zealand. He is also an adept goal-kicker and will be expected to keep the scoreboard ticking when offered a chance takes shots at goal.

Meanwhile, robust back-row Richard Hardwick will be eager to continue where he left off in their defeat to the Azzurri as he caught the eye with a fine all-round effort in that match. The former Wallaby took the fight to the Azzurri as he was competitive at the breakdowns, was solid on attack as he gained 35 metres from 16 carries with five defenders beaten and did well on defence as he finished with eight tackles made.

Another player who impressed in the Welwitschias’ tournament opener is Gerswin Mouton, a talented winger who showed that he knows his way to the try-line when he crossed for a well-taken five-pointer midway through the opening half against the Azzurri. The 23-year-old is blessed with plenty of pace and if he finds himself in space he is sure to test the All Blacks’ defence.

Prediction

With several game-breakers and X-factor players in their matchday squad, the All Blacks should have little trouble in seeing off Namibia and don’t be surprised if they rack up a massive score. New Zealand to win by 60 points.

Previous results

2019: New Zealand won 71-9 in Tokyo (RWC)
2015: New Zealand won 58-14 in London (RWC)

The teams

New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Caleb Clarke, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 David Havili, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (c), 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Luke Jacobson, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Ethan de Groot, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Tupou Vaa’i, 21 Aaron Smith, 22 Richie Mo’unga, 23 Rieko Ioane

Namibia: 15 Cliven Loubser, 14 Gerswin Mouton, 13 Johan Deysel (c), 12 Le Roux Malan, 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 9 Damian Stevens, 8 Richard Hardwick, 7 Prince Gaoseb, 6 Wian Conradie, 5 Tjiuee Uanivi, 4 Johan Retief, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Jason Benade
Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Desiderius Sethie, 18 Haitembu Shifuka, 19 PJ Van Lill, 20 Adriaan Booysen, 21 Max Katjijeko, 22 Jacques Theron, 23 JC Greyling

Date: Friday, September 15
Venue: Stadium de Toulouse
Kick-off: 21:00 local (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

READ MORE: Sam Whitelock to equal Richie McCaw’s record as All Blacks ring the changes for second Rugby World Cup clash

Features