NDN Staffer
PARIS, Sept. 16 — Namibia faced a tough challenge in their Rugby World Cup Pool A match against New Zealand, resulting in a 71-3 loss. Despite the scoreline, coach Allister Coetzee sees several positives to take away from the game.
Namibia displayed resilience and disrupted New Zealand’s play, leading to the All Blacks conceding 12 penalties, primarily at the breakdown, even as they scored 11 tries.
Coetzee shared his perspective with reporters, stating, “These World Cup games serve as building blocks for us. We can improve our set-piece, which came under significant pressure. However, our team demonstrated determination. We must also work on ball retention. We created opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on, but the fact that we keep creating them is encouraging.”
While Namibia struggled to match New Zealand’s speed and ability to exploit space swiftly, Coetzee believes the experience will benefit his team in the long run.
“We faced a high-quality All Blacks team. Their pace made it challenging for our players, but we gained valuable lessons tonight,” he remarked. “We observed a different dimension of play from New Zealand, with an emphasis on individual skills, which caught us off guard a few times.”
Reflecting on Namibia’s previous encounters with world-class teams like the All Blacks, Coetzee noted, “The last time Namibia played a team of this calibre was probably in the previous World Cup in 2019. So, there are plenty of positives to take from this experience.”
Namibia’s upcoming fixture is against host nation France, followed by a match against fellow tier 2 side Uruguay. Despite having lost all 24 of their previous World Cup matches since their debut in 1999, Coetzee remains optimistic about the team’s potential.
“For us, our World Cup essentially hinges on the last game,” he emphasized.
While Namibia hasn’t secured a win in this World Cup, their growth and progress as a team are evident. They’ve showcased their rugby skills and learned valuable lessons from their defeats, and they’ll be aiming to conclude their campaign on a positive note when they face Uruguay in their final match.
