Tsumeb Gym looks to end WHS’ winning run
Schools rugby
The four leading teams face each other at Tsumeb and Windhoek Gymnasium this weekend.
Another consequential weekend awaits in the Namibia Secondary Schools Rugby (NSSR) under-19 premier league among the contenders for the top-four playoff positions.Samsung Windhoek High School, the defending champion, has a potentially tricky appointment to face Compack Tsumeb Gymnasium in an away match on Saturday.
WHS head coach Jan Dames’ selection has remained mostly consistent with the team that ended OK Foods Moria’s unbeaten season at their Doringlaagte fortress last weekend.
Dames says: “We are fully aware of the threat that the Tsumeb forwards pose in the tight phases, before they move the ball wide. They deserve their high position on the log standings currently and we expect them to be very motivated at their home field.”
For WHS’ Kudu Bulls, Tsumeb will likely present their last big hurdle, with two winless teams Farmstyle Elnatan and De Duinesig remaining before the play-off phase.
“Unfortunately we won’t have a full complement on the bench, because our second team will play Moria II in Windhoek in an important match in their league as well. We hope that we won’t pick up injuries, which is a part of our sport. We’ll take it match by match from here,” Dames said.
His coaching counterpart Wouter Niehaus says the Tsumeb Gymnasium team will the memorial service at 10:00 of Frikkie Fourie, who died last Sunday. He was the father of FJ Fourie (outside centre of Tsumeb Gym and the Namibia U18 team this year) and a big supporter of the school’s team.
Due to the memorial service, the teams have agreed to a slightly delayed 12:30 kick-off.
Front-runners
Moria, despite being handed their first loss (19-31) by WHS last weekend, is still the log leader ahead of their visit to the capital to face King Price Windhoek Gymnasium on Saturday.
Moria (47 points from six matches) heads a competitive top-four with WHS (five wins from five; 43 points), Tsumeb Gymnasium (43) and Windhoek Gymnasium (38).
The Windhoek Gymnasium Lions under captain Vincent Scholtz delivered a strong performance last weekend to beat Tsumeb 29-7.
The fifth- and sixth-placed contenders will also clash on Saturday, as Namib Diesel Walvis Bay Private School (33 points from five matches) travels to Affies Park to meet Autohaus Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool (28 from six).
The WBPS Naartjies recently lost their lock and captain Herman Lombard with an ankle injury at training, but hooker Tiaan van der Westhuizen took over the leadership role as they beat rivals InSpares Pro-Ed Akademie 36-17 at Swakopmund last weekend.
The WAP vs WBPS match will be broadcast live on NTV and https://oneuptwo.com/
The team lists received yesterday:
Compack Tsumeb Gymnasium
15 Grant Ras, 14 Dondre Pretorius, 13 FJ Fourie, 12 Jean Devenish (vice-captain), 11 Bradley Kabende, 10 Carlo Lacante, 9 Charl Cilliers, 8 Russel Bartlett (captain), 7 Eduardo Amutenya, 6 Jaun van Wyk, 5 Emile Kuhn, 4 Willem Nel, 3 Jurick van der Berg, 2 Pieter Potgieter, 1 Juan Brits. Bench: 16 Poen Sakaria, 17 Casper Oosthuizen, 18 CJ Button, 19 Gary Wessels, 20 Carel Kruger, 22 Ngathu Nghidishange, 23 Christiaan Kriel. Coaches: Wouter Niehaus and Francois van Zyl (biokineticist).
Samsung Windhoek High School
15 William Beukes, 14 Eathan Sinden, 13 Caleb Buys, 12 Luthando van Wyk, 11 Steven van Wyk, 10 Mc-Rein van Wyk, 9 Dominique Isaacs, 8 Pieter-Jan Strydom, 7 Lorenzo Awaseb, 6 Isaiah Kazondovi, 5 Keanan Louw, 4 Praise Kamonga, 3 Jaden Bock, 2 Xander Campbell, 1 Cashton Cloete. Bench: 16 Xavier Louw, 17 Dawid Ludick, 19 Keathan Klazen, 22 Xavier Bampton, 23 Ignatius Kandowa. Coaches: Jan Dames and Devano Alcock.
OK Foods Moria
15 Franco Engelbrecht, 14 Ruan Brand, 13 Bertus Narib, 12 Jano Erasmus, 11 Drikus Maartens, 10 Jurian Dreyer, 9 Du Rand Louw, 8 Armand Esterhuizen, 7 Keyo Kruger, 6 Ben Mostert, Alexander Bertelsmann, 4 Romario Hoeseb, 3 Wian Maartens, 2 William Pienaar, 1 Johan Gabrielsen. Bench: 16 Meyer Laubscher, 17 Henning Pienaar, 18 Janco Schlechter, 19 Henro Anthonissen, 20 HD von Wielligh, 21 Wynand Oliver, 22 Ngarune Muukua, 23 Jazario Drotsky. Head coaches: Reino du Toit and TW Koorts.
• Results, fixtures and log standings at www.rugby.my.na/