Coetzee satisfied with Welwitchias’ performance

National senior men’s rugby team coach, Allister Coetzee says he was satisfied with his team’s start in the Rugby Africa quarter-finals of a qualifying tournament in Marseille, France on Friday.

Speaking to Nampa from France on Sunday, Coetzee said winning 71-5 against Burkina Faso gave him an opportunity to assess the side’s application of his philosophy.

“I am very satisfied with the start of the competition irrespective of the opposition. I was looking at things like how players fit into our system and how they execute the game plan. I was not happy with how we played in the first 20 to 25 minutes on Friday, but it was a big learning point,” he said.

The former Springbok and Western Province coach added that his team was very inaccurate, could not control the ball with a few loose kicks and lacked game management during that period.

Coetzee said the team improved as the game went on, with patience coming back later, leading to them scoring some brilliant tries, which saw the team comfortably stride to the semi-finals, where they will face Zimbabwe.

He added that the second half saw Namibia grab the match by the scruff of the neck as they dominated set pieces, especially the mauls and scrummaging.

“For the next game, there are areas where we can still be better and we have to be better. Zimbabwe is a well-organised team, much better than Burkina Faso and they have been playing together in the Currie Cup first division for the past three months,” he explained.

The Welwitschias coach said their opponents have quality players and are a team with more cohesion, but that they are planning and preparing for the semi-final.

“For us, it is just the next game. The players have great energy at training and they have put in a hell of an effort into it despite the little time we have had as a team. We are looking forward to a tough game against Zimbabwe on Wednesday,” he concluded.

The winner of that semi-final match will face either Kenya or Algeria in the final on Sunday.

The winners of the qualifying tournament will be in Pool A alongside hosts France, three-time winners New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency