Limba Mupetami
The Windhoek Beer Welwitschias suffered a crushing defeat against the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their international friendly match at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday.
The Namibian team, predominantly composed of local players, was overwhelmed by the Bulls, who secured a resounding 92-8 victory. Welwitschias captain Prince !Gaoseb acknowledged the challenge posed by the superior South African team. “We expected a physical match from the start and couldn’t keep up,” said !Gaoseb. “They outsmarted and outmuscled us. However, it’s beneficial to have such game time to grow as a squad, especially since we are a young team. I can’t say we didn’t give it our all. We need to go back to the drawing board, but this helps with our development, and we thank the Bulls for coming,” he said.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls, led by captain Nizaam Carr, viewed the match as crucial preparation for their upcoming Currie Cup fixture against the DHL Western Province team. “It was a fantastic visit. It’s a bit different as this is my first time to be in Namibia,” Carr commented. “We played on Wednesday night against the Griquas in Polokwane and won 28-19, so the boys were still sore. This match is great preparation for our upcoming game,” said Carr.
Carr added that despite the lopsided score, the match provided valuable insights. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and look too much into the result. We have a big week coming up, and all the plans are in place. Namibia challenged us in some phases. We’re still hurting, but I don’t want to focus on the result. Namibia is a quality side with quality coaches and players, and they helped us prepare for this week.”
Following this friendly, the Bulls will shift their focus to the North-South Currie Cup clash at DHL Stadium on Sunday while, the Welwitschias are set to face Portugal in another friendly match on 13 July. They will then continue their preparations for the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, scheduled to take place from 20 to 28 July at the Mandela National Stadium in Nambole, Kampala, Uganda.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na