The Welwitschias will shift their focus to a tough encounter against South Africa’s Airlink Pumas this coming weekend at Hage Geingob Stadium, in what promises to be another testing international friendly. 

This follows a hard-fought 22–19 victory over Uganda on Saturday in their first international outing of the year, held at Walvis Bay Private School’s Naartjie Park. 

Despite the win, the Namibian side had to grind it out in a match where they were far from their best, something Director of Rugby Jacques Burger openly acknowledged. 

“It was a slow start. But the main goal was to give a lot of guys a chance to play and to assess where we are as a team. Credit to Uganda – they came out firing, scrummed well, and managed possession better than we expected.” 

Discipline proved to be a concern for Namibia, with Burger highlighting the team’s penalty count: “We conceded 16 penalties to their three. Whether all of them were justified or not, we talked beforehand about how we react to things not going our way. That’s something we must fix. It’s better to have a scrappy performance now than during the Africa Cup.” 

Despite the performance, Burger remained optimistic, emphasising that the team is in a building phase: “We’ll go back and work harder. There’s a lot to improve, especially discipline and urgency—but it’s encouraging. This is a young Namibian team. We’ll grow stronger with every game.” 

He added, “The physicality in the first half was good, but overall, the performance lacked urgency. We need to build confidence, stay focused, and learn from this. The Pumas will be a much tougher challenge, and every week from now on it only gets tougher. That’s how we grow.” 

Welwitschias fly-half Jacques Theron echoed Burger’s sentiments, noting that the team is still finding its rhythm: “We’re still learning to play together, and there’s a lot to adjust as we prepare for the next match. But the progress is there.” 

The game was also an important test for Uganda, who are currently touring in preparation for the upcoming Rugby Africa Cup, which they will host. Uganda’s captain, Byron Oketayot, was proud of his side’s performance. 

“We came in as underdogs – many thought we’d be crushed. But the boys really stepped up. It was a solid performance, and it shows our growth.” 

He also praised Namibia’s experience and status within African rugby: “Namibia have flown the flag for Africa, especially as regular World Cup participants. Playing against a team like that gives us a real benchmark. It’s great intensity and physicality, and we’ll take these lessons forward as we head to South Africa, where more of our players will join us for camp.” 

The friendly marked a promising start to the season for both teams, who are using these matches to fine-tune their squads ahead of continental competition. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na