23 Sep 2015

Experienced Namibia team named to take on All Blacks

6:19 am on 23 September 2015

The Saracens flanker Jacques Burger will lead an experienced Namibian side against New Zealand in their Pool C Rugby World Cup match at Olympic Park on Friday morning.

Namibia rugby captain Jacques Burger

Namibia rugby captain Jacques Burger Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The matchday 23 boasts ten players with World Cup experience. Burger, Eugene Jantjies and Tinus du Plessis will play at their third tournament.

Namibia's starting line-up has 299 test caps' worth of experience.

This will be the first ever Test match between Namibia and New Zealand.

Namibia's Welsh coach Phil Davies stressed his side must not be overawed by the occasion this Thursday.

"They are excited about playing New Zealand and to have the Namibian flag and New Zealand flag flying from the top of the stadium together," said the former Cardiff Blues director of rugby.

"Hopefully if we do our jobs well we can put some good stuff together and give a good account of ourselves on the field. It won't be a problem keeping them calm, just keeping them focused is the key."

Namibia famously lost 142-0 to Australia at the 2003 tournament.

Namibia: 15 Johan Tromp, 14 David Philander, 13 JC Greyling, 12 Johan Deysel, 11 Conrad Marais, 10 Theuns Kotzè, 9 Eugene Jantjies, 8 Leneve Damens, 7 Tinus du Plessis, 6 Jacques Burger (capt), 5 Pieter-Jan van Lill, 4 Tjiuee Uanivi, 3 Johannes Coetzee, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Jaco Engels.

Replacements: 16 Louis van der Westhuizen, 17 Casper Viviers, 18 Raoul Larson, 19 Renaldo Bothma, 20 Janco Venter, 21 Rohan Kitshoff, 22 Eneill Buitendag, 23 Chrysander Botha.

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