Win over Brazil starts to rebuild confidence

Rugby
Andrew Poolman
  • 2 Days Ago 19 November 2025
Namibia achieved their first win since the recent appointment of Pieter Rossouw as head coach, beating a stubborn but outclassed Brazil by nine points (40-31) in the Rugby World Cup 2027 final qualification tournament in Dubai.

The result will leave Namibia with much to chew on, as they managed to play continuously better rugby as the tournament progressed, but will still pay the prize for earlier losses to Belgium (15-22) and heavyweights Samoa (8-26) which left them eliminated from the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

After trailing by 0-17 less than 14 minutes after the kick-off and fighting back to 21-24 at halftime in their last match of the tournament, Namibia worked debutant tighthead prop Joshua Bester, wing Jurgen Meyer and lock Adriaan Ludick over for tries in the first half, all converted by fly-half Cliven Loubser.

Brazil created some of their own luck during Namibia’s slow start – including the build-up to their third try. Brazil’s hooker threw over the hands of his jumper, but one of his backline mates kicked through the bouncing ball and chased hard to force Namibian wing Danie van der Merwe to carry the ball over his goal-line. From the resultant field position, the South Americans managed to let their tighthead prop Leonel Moreno crash over from a planned lineout move.

It took Namibia 20 minutes to put their first points on the board, as Joshua Bester (promoted to start after playing well in the Rugby Africa U20 Barthés Cup this year) scored a try from a determined lineout maul. The former WHS prop also contributed well in open play before being subbed off for the experienced Aranos Coetzee after just 28 minutes.

Fullback Jay-Cee Nel and flank Prince !Gaoseb, two of the impressive performers on the day, were involved in the build-up to the second try rounded off by wing Jurgen Meyer after 27 minutes after a slick attack to the blindside.

A Loubser tactical kick brought the territorial position from which lock Adriaan Ludick crashed over for the 35th-minute try that brought Namibia back to just a three-point deficit at halftime.

From the resultant kick-off, Brazil were reduced to 14 players, with left wing Sergio de Luna’s initial yellow card upgraded to a red card for head-on-head contact tackle on scrum-half Helarius Kisting.

Namibia took the lead for the first time after 42 minutes when right wing Danie van der Merwe caught Nel’s flicked pass on his toes at full speed as the overlap and ran in their fourth try, which Loubser again converted (28-24).

Namibia continued to pile on the pressure with Loubser delivering a clever short pass to send Jurgen Meyer through a gap in midfield for his second try (35-24).

Although Jay-Cee Nel had a 70th-minute “try” disallowed for a forward pass, he was indeed on the score board four minutes earlier, finishing off the build-up carries of replacement forwards Johan Luttig and Armand Combrinck, as Namibia built up a sizable lead.