WC 2015 M37 Argentina v Namibia

WC 2015 M32 Namibia v Georgia

RWC 2015 M20 Tonga v Namibia

Pool D: Wales v Namibia

Wow. A tad one sided that: those pie charts don’t show much blue possession, and you can see that Wales were getting building consents granted they were down in that Namibian 22 so much of in the second half.

A mismatch? Yeah ... nah. That was Namibia’s fourth match in fourteen seventeen days. That is ridiculous, considering those four matches were against Fiji, Samoa, South Africa and Wales. The IRB has to do something about this, its bullshit.

Namibia played with heart and passion for 80 minutes every game, but no preparation with their resources is going to allow them to compete on that schedule. The NZRU and All Blacks would never tolerate four games in fourteen seventeen days.

Personally, I rate their Captain Jacques Burger, I am working on a Minnows (though I hate that word) XV, and he is the Captain, first name down. Loved his attitude in post-match interviews, and the the fact that every time a ruck disassembled he was at the bottom, and evry last ditch Namibian tackler was often him. Legend, bro.

Wales. Well, its a bonus point. They should go through. But that may just flatter to deceive. We’ll see.

Pool D: South Africa v Namibia

One sided? A bit. And there can’t have been a full can of Castle Lager left anywhere on the North Shore - this could have qualified as a home game for both teams given the local area’s ex-pat community.

If I was being cynical I might say it was a case of almost a feeder nation playing the team where its best and brightest might have ended up once ... but maybe not now. These Namibians never got on the scoreboard tonight, but they never, never gave up ... and if Chrysander Botha is not in a South Afrocan Super team next season it will be a crime. Did you see the bravery of that silky little 75kg player in bringing down Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira in full flight? He succeeded whee Mike Catt failed with Jonah back in 1995.


I think the Namibian 10 Kotze also deserves praise, as does their Captain, Jacques Burger who just came across as a consummate professional in every post-match interview: he knows what they up against, what they have to expect from themselves ... and is honest if they fall short. Hope to see more of this attitude and this player.

South Africa? Well, I think it was a step down in intensity from Fiji, and that showed in their play. I am still liking this Double Steyn 10/12 axis ... it really gives them penetration, and having Hougaard to cover wing and halfback is very lucky. I’d still maintain that we are seeing glimpses of a coming Springbok team with the likes Aplon, de Jongh, Hougaard ready to fill big boots when certain players leave after the World Cup.

So, an 87 point win, and 10 RWC wins on the trot for the Boks. Look out everyone, they are warming up ... and they simply do not miss kicks at goal or many chances to score.

Pool D: Samoa v Namibia

Pool D: Fiji v Namibia

The Namibians are the lowest ranked side at RWC 2011 - they did not play like it.

Ireland 32 – Namibia 17

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a couple of lovely comments from a generous person (I have a suspicion s/he may be from Ireland) in my inbox today. He was inspired to leave some highly original remarks about New Zealand being a nation of sheepshaggers in reply to a couple of my recent posts implying that the Irish rugby team were on the decline. Well my dear friend ‘Muttoneater’, I’m afraid to say that after Ireland’s average performance against an impassioned Namibia side today, it appears my gloomy comments about your team may have some element of truth in them.

Eddie O’Sullivan and his men need to do something and fast to pick up their World Cup campaign as it looks very much at this stage on current form that they are the main contenders for elimination in Pool D –before the quarter finals even kick off. I hope this is not the case. I am a huge fan of the Irish and would hate to see them out of the competition, especially considering they have been one of the top teams in world rugby for the last few years.