WINDHOEK: Allister Coetzee, the coach of senior national rugby team the Welwitschias, says his team must be at the top of their game if they are to collect maximum points against Zimbabwe in the Africa Rugby Cup.

The 2024 Rugby Africa Cup is underway in Kampala, Uganda and will run until Sunday. The tournament features the top eight rugby unions across Africa and is being held at the refurbished Mandela National Stadium and Wankulukuku Stadium.

Match day two of the championship on Wednesday will feature an exciting blockbuster in the semi-finals between Namibia and neighbours Zimbabwe, as well as the clash between Kenya and Algeria.

The first semi-final between Kenya and Algeria starts at 13h00, to be followed by Namibia and Zimbabwe at 15h00.

In an interview shared with Nampa by the Namibia Rugby Union on Monday, Coetzee said he was pleased with the team’s training session a day after their opening clash against Burkina Faso.

‘I believe the players understand the importance of Wednesday’s match against
Zimbabwe. We weren’t at our best in the game against Burkina Faso, but it’s a matter of adjusting to the conditions, and we have addressed those issues. We are now focusing on the match against Zimbabwe,’ he said.

Coetzee added that Zimbabwe has a strong team with experienced players who excel in set pieces, scrums, and line-outs. However, the Welwitschias’ goal is to emerge victorious.

‘We need to be as physical as possible, particularly in the contact areas and at the breakdown. We have planned well for this. Thankfully, we didn’t have any injuries after the Burkina game,’ he said.

The coach also stated that two of their players are being treated for influenza, but should be back in training with the squad as they finalise their preparation for Zimbabwe.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency