Semi-final battles loom large

The battle for this year’s rugby premier league title intensifies tomorrow when four evenly balanced teams battle it out in the semi-finals at Hage Geingob National Rugby Stadium.

Defending champions FNB Kudus take on Montego United at 14h30, while FNB Wanderers face FNB Grootfontein at 16h15.

After a lengthy league campaign that started five months ago, Wanderers were the most consistent and eventually finished on top of the log on 85 points after winning 15 and losing only one match.

United and Kudus had near identical campaigns with both winning 12 matches and losing four, while United finished second on 72 and Kudus third on 71 points.

Grootfontein clinched the final semi-final spot with 65 points after winning 11 and losing five matches.

Wanderers and Grootfontein have weighed up very evenly this year, with each team winning one match during the league campaign.

In their first round match at Grootfontein on 25 April, Grootfontein won a tough battle 37-32, but Wanderers turned the tables with a narrow 33-31 home win in their second round match on 25 July.

Wanderers coach Darryl de la Harpe says they are well prepared and ready for the match.

“It’s a privilege to play in the semi-finals and I think we’ve got a good chance, just like any other team that reaches the semi-finals. Obviously being on top of the log doesn’t matter now but for us it was a good achievement which we are proud of, but going into the semis it’s a cup competition and anything can happen,” he says.

“I think the team with the best discipline and the best defensive effort will have the best chance of winning the match, and also the team that uses the ball better on both sides of the field, and the one that is more clinical in the 22-yard area. We’ve prepared well, we’ve got good structures in place and the boys are looking forward to the match,” he adds.

De la Harpe says they hold Grootfontein in high regard.

“Grootfontein are a great side – they’ve shown that they can compete and not only compete – they are the defending champions of the JSB Cup and they have beaten us before,” he says.

“They will have their whole town behind them and probably the whole of Namibia as well, because throughout the year you could see that not a lot of people liked the fact that we won, although we did very well by scoring the most points and conceding the least,” he adds.

“Grootfontein is always a threat, they’ve got a good pack with good experience and some exciting youngsters, but we are looking forward to the match and hopefully a lot of people will come out to enjoy some good rugby,” he says.

Meanwhile, Grootfontein captain Wicus Jacobs says they are up for the challenge.

“Our preparations this week were a bit difficult as it always is in terms of getting everyone together which is always quite a challenge, but the spirit is high and everyone is very excited for both our premier league semi against Wanderers, as well as our reserve league semi against Unam,” he says.

“Wanderers is a very well-coached side, and a well balanced side with experience and youth and they will be a very tough nut to crack. The only advantage we might have a very good forward pack, and I think the team with the best dominance up front and the team that makes the least mistakes will probably pull it through,” he adds.

“The past few meetings between Wanderers and us have been very close and I think on Saturday it can once go any way, but we are definitely ready, we are going to give it our all, and we are not going to back down,” he says.

“We are up for the challenge and we are looking forward to a great match.

Nobody is giving us a chance to win on Saturday, which makes us the underdogs again, but that’s what we thrive on, when everyone writes us off,” he says.

The match between Kudus and United could also go either way after each team won one match during the league campaign.

United won their first encounter 43-36 on 25 April at home in Windhoek, while Kudus won their second round clash 53-38 at Walvis Bay on 25 July.

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