Walvis, Windhoek Gym aim for top honours
WALVIS Bay Private School and Windhoek Gymnasium will battle it out for the top prize in Namibian schools rugby, when they meet in the Momentum Boards Trophy u19 Super League final at the Hage Geingob Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams overcame big odds to reach the final, when they knocked out last year’s finalists, Windhoek High School and Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaat Skool in the semifinals last weekend.
Walvis Bay produced a superb comeback to beat the defending champions WHS 20-16, after trailing 16-0 with 25 minutes to go.
The other semifinal also went down to the wire with Windhoek Gymnasium beating last year’s losing finalists WAP 48-32 after a late surge.
In terms of history, there’s not much to choose between the two sides as they have both won the title twice in the past.
Gymnasium won the title for the first time in 2014 and successfully defended it the following year, but last year they were knocked out in the semifinals.
Walvis Bay on the other hand last won the title in 2002, while their first success came way back in 1974.
On paper, Gymnasium will start as the favourites as they have more national players in their squad, while they also beat Walvis Bay 19-5 in their only league encounter this year.
Gymnasium had five players in Namibia’s Craven Week team this year, namely, their prodigious place kicker and fly half Denzo Bruwer, flanker Roaldo Rittman, eighthman Franco Opperman, hooker Louw Steenkamp and prop forward Gerhard Opperman.
Walvis Bay, on the other hand, only had two representatives in the Craven Week team, in centre Darryl Wellman and flanker Gilad Plaatjies, although their captain and eighthman Wynand Breytenbach and prop Patrick Schickerling both played Craven Week last year, while they are also members of the current Namibian u20 squad.
Both teams have several other outstanding players, with winger Tyron Pietersen and scrum half Devon Langenhoven impressing for Walvis against WHS last weekend, while wings Morgan Esterhuizen and Rudi Pretorius, and centre Chrischen Olivier stood out for Gymnasium.
The forward battle could also be decisive as both teams have powerful packs with strong scrummagers.
Past results and strength on paper will, however, have little bearing on tomorrow’s match when passion, pride and a desire to win will be more important. Both teams displayed these attributes in buckets in the semifinals last weekend and with more of the same in store, rugby fans can look forward to a great showdown.
The u19 Super League final is scheduled to start at 18h15 at the Hage Geingob Stadium tomorrow and will be preceded by various other age group finals which will already start at 11h30 today and will continue at 08h00 on Saturday.
The visiting Zimbabwean school team, Peterhouse, will also play a match against a Namibian Barbarians schools team at 17h30 on Friday night.
