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'I haven't seen an All Blacks team play like that for a long time'

Namibia form a guard of honour for players of New Zealand as they leave the field after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between New Zealand and Namibia at Stadium de Toulouse on September 15, 2023 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by Pauline Ballet - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Namibia head coach Allister Coetzee believes that his side received a special type of performance from the All Blacks in Toulouse on Friday night.

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The All Blacks ran out 71-3 winners off the back of starring performances from halves pair Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie who scored four tries between them.

The former Springbok coach praised the way that New Zealand moved the ball around, using the full width of the field with cross-field kicks and wide passing into the outside channels.

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Caleb Clarke, in the unfamiliar No 14 jersey, had six breaks down his edge while left wing Leicester Fainga’anuku was at his barnstorming best on the other side finishing with a game high eight defenders beaten.

ā€œI want to compliment New Zealand – they played in a way I haven’t seen an All Blacks team play like that for a long time, the way they took the game to us and put us under pressure with their skill-set, running a bit more than usual,ā€ Coetzee said.

ā€œFrom our side, we always pride ourselves on fighting back and I must commend the team, there is a lot of fight left in the team and I am pleased with what I’ve seen from them.

ā€œWe got caught on the inside a couple of times but that is typically how New Zealand play. They had a solid set-piece and they used the width of the field.ā€

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The All Blacks had dominance at scrum time, a problem area from their opening clash against France, which led to easy exits whenever they needed territory.

The backline made Namibia pay with McKenzie pulling the strings with excellent vision and confidence with his first start since Argentina.

ā€œObviously, set piece and lineout mauling is crucial when there’s wet weather like tonight and a greasy ball and they did well,ā€ he continued.

ā€œThey came at us with their driving maul and they were outstanding winning back ball, which makes it easier to set up a maul platform. They were just too good for us.

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ā€œHowever, I am pleased our team created opportunities even though we didn’t convert them. Hopefully that will come as we learn from these top teams that we are playing.ā€

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Despite being regular qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup for the Africa region, Namibia hasn’t had tier one competition regularly.

In 2019 they lost to New Zealand by nearly an identical score 71-9, this time only coming up with the lone penalty goal in the 71-3 loss.

Coetzee was happy the side created scoring opportunities and put the lack of points down to final execution.

ā€œOf course. It’s a privilege to face the Haka. For a player that’s a challenge that was thrown at them. Irrespective of the scoreline, I am proud of the way they stuck in the fight,ā€ he said.

ā€œNamibia last played against a top tier one side like the All Blacks (before this World Cup) probably at the last World Cup (2019) and that is the difference.

ā€œThe national side doesn’t have the privilege of playing in the Rugby Championship and other top competitions but they qualified to get to a World Cup, so hopefully in the future we get more of these games, whereby you learn about the tempo of the game, the pace of the game and the collisions.

ā€œThat is the difference with performance nations like us.ā€

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Comments

18 Comments
T
Theo 670 days ago

šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚You are such a wind-up. Go on say it!! 35 - 7!! Noticed left out in the piece above, why?? Bet you felt deflated afterwards moreover, infront of a Twickenham crowd. OuchšŸ˜‚

S
Sam 672 days ago

Let me refresh your memory: 16 Sept 2017. The score was 57-0.


You may have been there.

B
Ben Smith is a Dick 672 days ago

Where has Ben Smith been hiding? Eventually a win and Ben comes out of his closet with his tail between his legs writing a piece that he disguises in a coaches viewpoint so he can praise his gods of rugby without it looking like he has got brown on his face again from lacking AB butts! What happened to your article after the AB's lost to France.......still waiting for that excuse filled article šŸ¤”

C
CT 672 days ago

šŸ˜‚ oh Bennie boy become a man and write something about the defeat by France a decent team not this dribble that you keep serving

e
etienne 672 days ago

Congratulations to the AB for there stellar performance against a side that gets hammered by South African franchise’s. Hope you take pride in this victory

P
PaPaRumple 672 days ago

Hahahahaha finally Ben Smith has something to write about. FYI from what I've seen Namibia are the worst team in the tournament. Even France smashed them.

D
Def Kiwi 672 days ago

Except France has not played them yet

D
Driss 672 days ago

Eh Coetzee ? I have seen better team all blacks than this poor all blacks team coached by the worst coach in the history. Top all blacks team have not poor discipline.

Don’t worry ! We will see the great all blacks team with razor coming . We are waiting only the end of nightmare Foster ā€˜s area.

D
Dave 672 days ago

You can not take anything said by current or former SA coaches or administrators at face value, especially about NZ.

C
CT 672 days ago

Oh well if it made them feel good bravo it was as boring as hell to watch, it was as exciting as watching paint dry

T
Tim 671 days ago

You can only play what's in front of you. Sth Africa v Romania earlier today was a similar spectacle.

H
Harry 672 days ago

Not enough kicking to the corner and rolling mauls for you then?

P
Paul 672 days ago

Yip. Let's choose our "strongest " side and bully the weaker tier of rugby.

That will make a statement.....really?

Namibian coach were given sound bites for his bosses back home to keep his job and save face

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