By Carlos Kambaekwa
WINDHOEK
Namibia’s Rugby Fifteen coach John Williams says his team still has a long way to go before it can become world-beaters.
Williams was speaking upon the team’s arrival after the Welwitschias’ narrow win over rugby novices Senegal in their opening Pool A International Rugby Board (IRB) 2011 African World Cup preliminary in Dakar, last weekend.
The Namibians were made to sweat all the way before emerging 13-10 victors in a closely contested encounter against the West African rugby lightweights, but Williams is quick to point out that the conditions in Senegal were totally different with shoddy arrangements dominating the team’s arrival and preparation.
Though the Cape Town born mentor is not too worried about the fitness level of his soldiers, he says the team needs much longer periods to prepare for big matches as opposed to the current scenario, which he mainly attributes to circumstances beyond the union’s control.
“We could not even practise on the field but that’s not an excuse, the team still needs to play as a unit and there are quite a number of areas that we need to patch up before our penultimate match against Zimbabwe on the 2nd of August this year.”
He says the players ma?