Key events
TRY! New Zealand 12-0 Namibia (Roigard 7′)
Well, this is ominous. It’s a Namibia put-in but New Zealand simply dismantle the scrum and the ball is flipped back to Roigard, who dummies, spins and dives over the line. McKenzie misses the conversion from wide right.
6 mins: But that ambition is ruthlessly punished as New Zealand turn the ball over and break at pace, Barrett kicking through and McKenzie accelerating to plant his hand on the ball … but he was a few inches short of the line.
5 mins: Namibia are unbowed by that early setback – after all, New Zealand scored within two minutes against France. They get a penalty deep in All Black territory and Johan Deysel kicks for the corner, much to the crowd’s delight …
TRY! New Zealand 7-0 Namibia (Roigard 2’)
That didn’t take long – Barrett’s crossfield kick is collected by Leicester Fainga’anuku, who trades passes with David Havili and offloads for scrum-half Cam Roigard to jog in under the posts. Damian McKenzie converts.
Let’s do this
The referee, Luke Pearce, blows his whistle – slightly before the crowd finish their countdown – and Beauden Barrett hoofs the ball high into the night sky.
Both sides line up for the anthems – Namibia in all-white, with an orange and blue trim. New Zealand are in all black, naturally. If the underdogs weren’t feeling intimidated enough, they then have to face a ferocious haka.
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Around 15 minutes until kick-off in Toulouse, where the stands look pretty close to full. The All Blacks are chasing their 50th World Cup win tonight – they would be the first team to reach that particular milestone.
Last night, France were pushed hard by Uruguay deep into the second half before scrambling over the finish line – a sign that no game is a foregone conclusion.
Get up to speed on the second weekend of the Rugby World Cup with Luke McLaughlin’s handy guide:
If you don’t much about Namibia – the nation or its rugby team – this video by Squidge Rugby offers an excellent guide.
The teams
New Zealand Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ofa Tuungafasi, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea (c).
Replacements: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i, Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga, Rieko Ioane.
Namibia Cliven Loubser, Gerswin Mouton, Johan Deysel (c), Le Roux Malan, Divan Rossouw, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Jason Benade, Torsten Van Jaarsveld, Johan Coetzee, Johan Retief, Tjiuee Uanivi, Wian Conradie, Prince Gaoseb, Richard Hardwick.
Replacements: Louis van der Westhuizen, Desiderius Sethie, Haitembu Shifuka, PJ Van Lill, Adriaan Booysen, Max Katjijeko, Jacques Theron, JC Greyling.
Preamble
New Zealand and Namibia both lost their opening Pool A games, but that’s pretty much where their similarities end. The opening-night defeat to France was the All Blacks’ first-ever loss in the pool stage, while tonight’s opponents are winless in six World Cups.
The two nations met in the pool stages of the 2015 and 2019 tournaments, with New Zealand winning an entertaining encounter 58-14 at the London Stadium, then strolling to a 71-9 victory in Tokyo. Namibia’s opening 52-8 defeat to Italy does not raise much hope of a closer contest tonight in Toulouse.
Ian Foster has made nine changes from the defeat in Paris, giving fringe players an opportunity and looking for a react to that sluggish first performance a week ago. The result is not really in doubt – Namibia are 200-1 to win – but the underdogs will always play up to their nickname.
The Welwitschas get their name from a giant, alien-looking plant that can survive in the Namib desert for centuries. For this team of local amateurs and professionals scattered around the world’s minor leagues, just being here is the battle and never giving up is the goal.
