Connect with us

General News

Kenya: Namibia, Kenya in Grudge Match

Published

4 years ago

on

[ad_1]

CHRYSANDER Botha wants his young charges to stick to the game plan when Namibia face host Kenya in arguably their toughest test of the 2022 Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy.

Both sides scored commanding wins in their opening matches, with Namibia whitewashing Ivory Coast 62-0 as Kenya overpowered neighbours Uganda 54-20.

The main cup semi-final is billed as the final before the final, with fireworks are expected inside Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium.

Botha was naturally delighted for the opening day victory, which settled the team into the tournament but felt their general play was somewhat off tangent.

Namibia can ill afford to lose focus against the buoyant hosts who dethroned them in 2020, he said.

“We couldn’t really play according to our structures. The boys got a bit loose in the game because of the opposition we faced and the way they played of being disruptive and not playing as per instructions. So, it was a bit difficult,” Botha said of their performance versus Ivory Coast.

He expects similar spoiling tactics mixed with brute force from Kenya today. The match between Kenya and Uganda was very physical, Botha observed.

After a relatively even first half which ended 11-10 in favour of the home side, the Kenyans adopted a faster game which created overlaps on the wings to run in the points and the result on the day.

Combating that physical approach while maximising their skill set, especially with the ball in hand, will give Namibia an advantage, Botha said.

“The Ugandans tried their utmost best but at the end of the day, they were overpowered by the physicality of the Kenyans and dominating the contact and collision areas a ruck time and so forth,” he noted.

Botha said the Ugandans’ spirited first half display exposed Kenya’s weaknesses, priceless insight which should not be lost on his side.

“It’s a good blueprint that they gave us, the Ugandans. We’ll have to be good in defence, we’ll have to get off the line and put their attack under pressure just to get off the line in order to get off the advantage line. It’s going to take a massive effort,” said Botha.

Kenya’s threat comes from their loose forwards who are big ball carriers who put the team on the front foot by getting momentum in the contact. The hosts’ centres and flyhalf are the other danger men that Namibia need to be wary of, Botha said in his analysis.