OWN CORRESPONDENT, Bordeux | Wednesday 6.00pm.
NAMIBIA shuffled their backline for the rugby World Cup group C match against France in Bordeaux on Friday.
Gert Jans Van Rensburg begins at centre after not playing in the opening 67-18 defeat by Fiji. Arthur Samuelson moves from centre to left wing, replacing Dirk Farmer.
Lean Van Dyk moves from fullback to right wing, where he replaces Deon Mouton. Van Dyk is replaced by inexperienced Glovin van Wyk at number 15.
Flanker Mathys Van Rooyen was picked at the expense of Jaco Oliver in the only change in the pack.
”We were overwhelmed by the Fijians, who really played seven-a-side rugby,” said coach Rudy Joubert.
”Against France, who play more classical rugby, I hope it will be better. But we don’t have a real chance to beat them, ” he admitted.
Meanwhile, French flyhalf Thomas Castaignede will miss the match because of a thigh injury that could see him ruled out of the whole tournament.
”Pulling a muscle is always a severe injury,” French team doctor Thierry Hermerel said. ”We are not optimistic about keeping him because the recovery time is going to be very short.”
Christophe Lamaison moves into Castaignede’s slot in one of five changes to the team – Emile Ntamack will start on the right wing and former captain Abdel Benazzi will sit out the match after a superb performance against Canada in the opening game.
Castaignede pulled a muscle during a training session on Tuesday, but he may well have lost his place to Lamaison who galvanised France when he came on as a replacement in the 33-20 defeat of Canada.
Teams
Namibia – 15-Glovin van Wyk; 14-Leandre van Dyk, 13-Gert Jans van Rensburg, 12-Schalke van der Merwe, 11-Arthur Samuelson, 10-Christian Zaayman, 9-Riaan Jantjies; 8-Sean Furter, 7-Mathys van Rooyen, 6-Quinn Hough (captain), 5-Pieter Steyn, 4-Heino Senekal, 3-Gerhard Opperman, 2-Hugo Horn, 1-Mario Jacobs.
France – 15-Ugo Mola, 14-Emile Ntamack, 13-Richard Dourthe, 12-Stephane Glas, 11-Christophe Dominici; 10-Christophe Lamaison, 9-Pierre Mignoni; 8-Thomas Lievremont, 7-Olivier Magne, 6-Marc Lievremont; 5-Fabien Pelous, 4-Olivier Brouzet; 3-Franck Tournaire, 2-Raphael Ibanez, 1-Christian Califano. — Reuters