Coetzee’s brave Namibia team defeated Kenya 36-0 in the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 final in Aix-en-Provence on Sunday to earn a spot in a seventh consecutive Rugby World Cup.
Allister Coetzee is a former Springbok coach, The South African Rugby Union fired him on 2 February 2018 as a result of a string of unsuccessful performances throughout the course of his two-year term. Under Coetzee, the Boks have only won nine out of 22 Test matches, setting numerous records for losses and unwelcome firsts.
Mr Coetzee, will lead Namibia in their inaugural encounter against the Azzurri on September 9. They will play in Pool A of the World Cup alongside hosts France, who will rise to the top of the world rankings on Monday, and three-time champions New Zealand, Italy, and Uruguay.
With a 36-0 victory over Kenya on Sunday in Aix-en-Provence, winger Wian Conradie helped Namibia qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Conradie scored twice in the first half and late in the second as the Welwitschias secured a spot in the international competition for the seventh consecutive time.
Despite losing, the Simbas will compete in the repechage tournament in November for a second chance to go to the competition the following year. Portugal will play in the four-team event this year, along with the losers of the matches between the United States, Chile, Hong Kong, and Tonga.
Conradie, 27, contributed to Namibia’s 15-0 lead at halftime, and flyhalf Cliven Loubser scored a penalty and converted it. After the break, the club rugby player for the Utah Warriors in the United States, Loubser, whose team is rated 24th in the world, continued to lead with three penalty goals.
Flanker Wian Conradie, who plays for the New England Free Jacks in the United States post-match interview said “We had a big build-up to this game,” Deysel told Canal+ after victories over Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals and last four of the Africa Cup which doubled up as World Cup qualifiers. We knew Kenya is always tough. We had to leave everything on the field today and we did it,”.
“We’re not scared at all,” Namibia hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld told Canal+. It’s always an honor to play a World Cup, not every player plays at a World Cup. It’s a very high standard. It’s going to be hard but we’re going to work,” the 35-year-old Bayonne forward added.
After the interval, the 24th-ranked Namibian team continued to rule the field thanks to Loubser’s three penalty goals for the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby. With two minutes remaining, Conradie completed the first half-trick of his senior career, but Deysel who played in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups added insult to injury for Kenya by scoring his eighth Test try in overtime.
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