New Zealand’s dominance in the Rugby World Cup continues to roll along as expected. The All Blacks won their opening match of this year’s tournament, 26-16, to Argentina on Sunday and will look to keep their top form in the Pool stage of the RWC going when they face Namibia this Thursday.
Does the upstart squad from southwest Africa have what it takes to shock the world with a victory over the Kiwis in just a few days’ time? Read on to find out more on what’s ahead in this compelling match.
If you’re craving for that other similar type of pigskin action, there’s always a lot going on over in the NFL with the 2015 regular season in full swing. Check out our previews for Thursday night’s primetime matchup in Redskins vs. Giants and the Monday night marquee bout between Kansas City and Green Bay.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]New Zealand vs. Namibia Preview
Where: The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London
When: Thursday, September 24, 3:00 PM ET
Line: New Zealand (-77.5) vs. Namibia (+77.5) – view all 2015 Rugby World Cup Lines
Betting on New Zealand
It wasn’t pretty, but New Zealand still got the job done with a tense 26-16 win over Argentina this past weekend for the team’s first win in this year’s Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks had to rally from a 13-9 lead built by the Pumas and needed an hour into the game to score the team’s two tries (courtesy of Aaron Smith and Sam Cane).
On the other hand, New Zealand still exhibited why they are at the top of the World Rugby Rankings with great control of the match, having retained possession on all five scrums and winning 18 of 19 lineouts.
With the victory, the Kiwis have now won all 25 of their games in the Pool Round of all Rugby World Cup events. Even better for coach Steve Hansen and his team is that winger Waisake Naholo is close to making his return to the pitch based on some promising returns from this week’s practice session.
Naholo, who suffered a cracked fibula before heading into the 2015 RWC, got some great advice from his uncle, who suggested that his nephew take some form of traditional medicine from Fiji to heal his broken leg. Naholo made a startling recovery indeed, and could very well suit up in time for Thursday’s game with the Welwitschias. And with another key player added to an already stacked All Blacks roster, there’s even lesser room for doubt now as for why the team is a heavy +110 favorite to win its third-ever William Webb Ellis Cup.
Create a betting account now to paint the 2015 Rugby World Cup “all black” with your lights-out winning predictions.
Betting on Namibia
“We want to put on a good show, we don’t just want to be punching bags, we want to compete and make a name for ourselves”.
Strong words coming from team captain and flanker Jacques Burger, who is unquestionably the most prolific and capable player on World No. 20 Namibia’s squad. Burger, who plays for Saracens in the English Premiership, would be glad to leave London with at least just one win for the first time in Namibia’s brief World Cup history.
However, the 32-year-old – who has a Premiership record of 36 tackles in a game against Exeter – has little to no support in the starting roster outside of prop Johnny Redelinghuys, who is already the Welwitschias’ top-capped player (with 48 to go with his six tries and 25 points). Coach Phil Davies will need Burger and Redelinghuys to lead this Namibian bunch filled with students, farmers, and other regular-day-jobbers outside of the pitch.
Apart from that, the team also has to find any means to put up points against the juggernaut that is New Zealand. In Namibia’s past 16 matches – again, all loses – the team was outscored by all of their past opponents at a combined 266-44.
But if there’s any indication that the Welwitschias can indeed pull off the biggest upset in the history of the sport this Thursday, look no further than Japan’s stunning triumph over World No. 2 South Africa just a few days ago. That, and Namibia has won its last four Tests by 20 points or more. Granted, those matches were just against Africa’s other nations not hailing from Johannesburg.
And yet, there’s always this pair of stats to show the polarity between these two clubs: New Zealand has three of the top five largest winning margins in the Rugby World Cup, while Namibia has the dishonor of the largest defeat in the tournament’s history – a 0-142 bludgeoning at the hands of Australia in 2003. With that said, it would be better for us to speculate not about if the All Blacks will win, but rather by exactly how many points the Kiwis will put up in their blow out of the Namibians.
Writer’s Prediction
New Zealand with a devastating win and covers -77.5.
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