What drama will NRU finalists bring?
Club rugby
A few tweaks in the backline selection have been the only changes to title holders FNB Wanderers’ first team that will take on a determined FNB Kudus in the final of the Namibia Rugby Union’s premier league on Saturday.
Many observers, both casual and serious, seem to discount Kudus’ chances of creating history in their first-ever appearance in the final that will determine the country’s champion club for 2025.
Wanderers’ unbeaten season, driven by leading performances of their key players, has many convinced that they should have no trouble dispatching the challenge of their opponents in blue.
In fact, Wanderers has not been beaten since week 12 of last year’s double-round season. A squad depleted by six call-ups for the Welwitschias match against the Blue Bulls contributed to Kudus running up a 51-27 win over Wanderers at Walvis Bay on 22 June 2024.
Director Roger Thompson and head coach Shaun White will bring a full-strength squad motivated by losses at the semi-final stages in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Significantly, Kudus will be travelling to the capital for the third weekend in a row – having ended FNB Unam’s playoff hopes in a tense 40-39 cliffhanger two Saturdays ago, before winning the semi-final against FNB Grootfontein 42-37.
Despite conceding two penalty tries in the second half that went along with first lock Kenneth Seibeb and then scrumhalf Rayshawn Shoombe being yellow-carded, Kudus held the edge over Grootfontein in terms of discipline.
The young Kudus fly-half Michael Koopman looked accomplished in his general play and calmly kicked 18 points, including from the touchline, to fill the boots of the injured Kyle Wentzel.
The boisterous support of Kudus’ blue army filled the Hage Geingob Stadiumn last weekend and will again be a driving force to the match squad captained by centre PJ Walters.
Van der Merwe at 13
Wanderers coach Darryl de la Harpe has brought back the pace of outside centre Danie van der Merwe to partner Ray-Eez Feris in midfield, moving veteran Nandivatu Karuuombe to the right wing in place of Owen Hawanga.
“Denzo Bruwer (fly-half, and the key player in the 2024 final) had a knee operation in South Africa, while hooker Kian Beyer is also out with a knee injury. Joshwin Solomon (prop) also injured his knee playing for the second team last weekend.
“Rainer Augustyn (lock) returns to be included on the bench. With our second team (eliminated in the NRU Reserve League semi-final by Kudus), we will have a fresh bench for the first time this season.
“Even though the national squad’s training program took away some of the attention at times, we feel well prepared for the final. We know what we have to do and we have belief in the abilities of this group.”
FNB Kudus team: Not announced at time of going to print.
FNB Wanderers: 1 Hans Ngoshi, 2 ?Edward Drotsky, 3 ?Liam Compion, 4 JP Campbell, 5 Ruan Ludick, 6 ?Sheron Rossouw, 7 ?Joe Losper, 8 ?Adriaan Booysen, 9 ?Jacques Theron (captain), 10 ?Danco Burger, 11 ?Jurgen Meyer, 12 ?Ray-Eez Feris, 13 ?Danie van der Merwe, 14 ?Nandivatu Karuuombe, 15 ?Johny Mwenyo.
Bench: 16 Johan Lambert, 17 Jayden van Zyl, 18 Rainer Augustyn, 19 Wickus Cowley, 20 Reben Botha, 21 Owen Hawanga, 22 Tolley Tjipute.
Fixtures at Hage Geingob Stadium
NRU Women’s League: Unam Steenbokkies v United Gemsbokkies (12:30). Referee: Ngatutue Mate.
NRU Reserve League: FNB Unam II v FNB Kudus II (14:00). Referee: Johre Botha.
NRU Premier League: FNB Wanderers I v FNB Kudus I (15:45). Referee: Zaid Isaacs.
Kudus’s second team won the 2024 final against Wanderers, while the unbeaten Unam Steenbokkies are favourites to complete three title seasons in a row in the NRU women’s 15s league.
Many observers, both casual and serious, seem to discount Kudus’ chances of creating history in their first-ever appearance in the final that will determine the country’s champion club for 2025.
Wanderers’ unbeaten season, driven by leading performances of their key players, has many convinced that they should have no trouble dispatching the challenge of their opponents in blue.
In fact, Wanderers has not been beaten since week 12 of last year’s double-round season. A squad depleted by six call-ups for the Welwitschias match against the Blue Bulls contributed to Kudus running up a 51-27 win over Wanderers at Walvis Bay on 22 June 2024.
Director Roger Thompson and head coach Shaun White will bring a full-strength squad motivated by losses at the semi-final stages in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Significantly, Kudus will be travelling to the capital for the third weekend in a row – having ended FNB Unam’s playoff hopes in a tense 40-39 cliffhanger two Saturdays ago, before winning the semi-final against FNB Grootfontein 42-37.
Despite conceding two penalty tries in the second half that went along with first lock Kenneth Seibeb and then scrumhalf Rayshawn Shoombe being yellow-carded, Kudus held the edge over Grootfontein in terms of discipline.
The young Kudus fly-half Michael Koopman looked accomplished in his general play and calmly kicked 18 points, including from the touchline, to fill the boots of the injured Kyle Wentzel.
The boisterous support of Kudus’ blue army filled the Hage Geingob Stadiumn last weekend and will again be a driving force to the match squad captained by centre PJ Walters.
Van der Merwe at 13
Wanderers coach Darryl de la Harpe has brought back the pace of outside centre Danie van der Merwe to partner Ray-Eez Feris in midfield, moving veteran Nandivatu Karuuombe to the right wing in place of Owen Hawanga.
“Denzo Bruwer (fly-half, and the key player in the 2024 final) had a knee operation in South Africa, while hooker Kian Beyer is also out with a knee injury. Joshwin Solomon (prop) also injured his knee playing for the second team last weekend.
“Rainer Augustyn (lock) returns to be included on the bench. With our second team (eliminated in the NRU Reserve League semi-final by Kudus), we will have a fresh bench for the first time this season.
“Even though the national squad’s training program took away some of the attention at times, we feel well prepared for the final. We know what we have to do and we have belief in the abilities of this group.”
FNB Kudus team: Not announced at time of going to print.
FNB Wanderers: 1 Hans Ngoshi, 2 ?Edward Drotsky, 3 ?Liam Compion, 4 JP Campbell, 5 Ruan Ludick, 6 ?Sheron Rossouw, 7 ?Joe Losper, 8 ?Adriaan Booysen, 9 ?Jacques Theron (captain), 10 ?Danco Burger, 11 ?Jurgen Meyer, 12 ?Ray-Eez Feris, 13 ?Danie van der Merwe, 14 ?Nandivatu Karuuombe, 15 ?Johny Mwenyo.
Bench: 16 Johan Lambert, 17 Jayden van Zyl, 18 Rainer Augustyn, 19 Wickus Cowley, 20 Reben Botha, 21 Owen Hawanga, 22 Tolley Tjipute.
Fixtures at Hage Geingob Stadium
NRU Women’s League: Unam Steenbokkies v United Gemsbokkies (12:30). Referee: Ngatutue Mate.
NRU Reserve League: FNB Unam II v FNB Kudus II (14:00). Referee: Johre Botha.
NRU Premier League: FNB Wanderers I v FNB Kudus I (15:45). Referee: Zaid Isaacs.
Kudus’s second team won the 2024 final against Wanderers, while the unbeaten Unam Steenbokkies are favourites to complete three title seasons in a row in the NRU women’s 15s league.
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