Grootfontein ready for Kudus hunt

Every rugby fan and opponent knows that no-one travels to Grootfontein and expects to simply return home with the winning points.

The strength of FNB Grootfontein is their heavy pack of forwards who lay the foundation for many of their victories. On Saturday, they host FNB Kudus, who also boasts a solid pack able to stand their ground against any team. Although the Walvis Bay team will be travelling without some key forwards, fans will want anyone representing the jersey to give a thorough account of themselves.

A win for either team will be of value to consolidate a top four position. Kudus is placed second on the log with 20 points from five matches, recording four wins and a loss, on their way to scoring 23 tries.

Grootfontein, among the early pacesetters in the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) premier league, find themselves in the fourth spot with 14 points after four matches. They managed to score 15 tries.

“Things are looking good for us despite a couple of injuries. Our flankers Pieter-Daan Kok and Oliver Mouton are both injured and Ian Malan (wing) will be unavailable with other commitments. Their absence might impact matters,” said Grootfontein captain Wikus Jacobs, their influential hooker.

In better news, the presence of WJ Otto (nr 8), Renard Hattingh (prop), Johan Luttig (lock or nr 8) and the return of flyhalf Siegfried Potgieter (2023 Etosha Lions) will bolster the squad.

“There is mutual respect between us and Kudus. We know it will not be an easy game and we intend to play to the best of our abilities against the visitors from the coast.”

The Grootfontein captain said the battle plan for Kudus should involve distributing the ball and keeping play loose. “We will have to execute our phases to perfection and concentrate extra hard on the lineouts. Consistency is key and our strength lies in the fact that we are a group of seasoned ballers.”

According to Jacobs the distances his players have to travel makes it hard to have regular training sessions.

“We usually have one full training session with all team members on Thursdays. We lost our game against Unam in the dying moments. They hit us with two tries in the space of three minutes. If we can get together three times a week for practice, we will really become a team to be reckoned with.”

Grootfontein coach Ogies Louw said a win against Kudus is of utmost importance. “We slipped up against Unam and it is important we return to winning ways.

“We have a well-balanced and competitive squad. The plan is to stick to our usual playing pattern and game plan. With belief and confidence, this squad can achieve whatever they set their minds on.”

The Kudus camp regards the match against Grootfontein as an all-important showdown and remains focused on the task at hand.

The coastal squad could be without as many as eight players due to work commitments and exam obligations, potentially hindering the team from travelling at full strength. The backline also experienced some disruption, but the men who come in are currently in good form.

There has however been a lot of concentration on depth lately and the Kudu teams are positive about their chances of victory although they will have to dig much deeper.

Kudus’ former Grootfontein winge Irongwa “Zulu” Atshivudhi will want to be at his very best. Diago Julies (flyhalf) and Demarchu Maya (wing) could also find themselves in the starting team and this trio can cause fireworks from the back.

Kudus captain Cameron Langenhoven (flank) is a strong leader and with him back at the helm, the newcomers will be expected to make their mark.

There is no doubt it will be a tough match and the aspiring winner will have to run on all cylinders and seize every opportunity to score.

Battle lines are drawn. The team whose discipline will hold the best and whose place kicker is the most accurate will have a much better chance of walking off the field victorious.