The Welwitschias of Namibia will have to summon all their strength and belief when they take on Samoa today at 17h30 in their second fixture of the 2027 Rugby World Cup
Final qualification tournament in Dubai.

Namibia will be looking to bounce back after suffering a narrow 22-15 defeat to Belgium in their opening match last weekend, a result that left director of Rugby Jacques Burger visibly disappointed but determined to turn things around.

Reflecting on the loss, he admitted that his side made life difficult for themselves. “Belgium were too good on the day. We made it too hard for ourselves to come back. There’s a lot to work on, and we also have some injury concerns, but it gives a chance to other hungry guys to step up,” he said.

He stressed that the team must start strong and eliminate the mistakes that proved costly in their first outing. 

“Samoa is a dangerous side. We must start well and cut out the errors we made against Belgium. We also have to match them physically,” Burger explained.

Acknowledging the enormity of the task ahead, the former national captain said the team must approach the match with total commitment. 

“We know we need to beat Samoa. We have to play the match of our lives – like our lives depend on it. We must bring the physicality, play with belief and take every opportunity that comes our way,” he urged.

Despite injuries to key players, Burger remains optimistic, noting that the situation opens doors for new and hungry talents to make their mark. 

“Injuries are unfortunate, but they give opportunities to other players who are eager to step up and prove themselves,” he said.

Commenting on their slow start against Belgium, he said the team cannot afford a repeat performance. 

“We need to be switched on from the very first whistle. To maximise our chances, we must be aerially dominant, apply pressure and believe in ourselves as a group. There’s no unbeatable team, but winning will require something special,” he added.

As it stands, Samoa leads the qualification log after producing a dominant 48-10 victory over Brazil last weekend. 

Here is the starting line-up for the Welwitschias against Samoa: 

Otja Auala, Louis van der Westhuizen (C), Aranos Coetzee, Adriaan Ludick, Juan Retief, Prince !Gaoseb, Max Katjijeko, Adriaan Booysen, Tiaan de Klerk, Helarius Kisting, Cliven Loubser, JC Greyling, Johan Deysel, Jay-Cee nel, Danie van der Merwe and Divan Rossouw.

Substitutes

Armand Combrinck, Gianluca Savoldelli, Haitembu Shifuka, Johan Luttig, Wian Conradie, AJ Kearns, Andrew van der Berg and Jurgen Meyer. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na