Namibia trounce Morocco in Casablanca to put them on course for 2019 Rugby World Cup

Sport360 staff 17:39 02/07/2018
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  • Namibia defeated Morocco in Casablanca

    Namibia chalked up their third consecutive bonus-point victory in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup with a 63-7 win over Morocco in Casablanca on Saturday to remain firmly on course for a fourth straight title and a place in Pool B at Rugby World Cup 2019.

    Seven-time champions Namibia top the Gold Cup standings on 15 points with the second-placed Simbas of Kenya seven points in arrears but having played one game less.

    The 2018 Gold Cup also serves as the region’s qualification tournament for RWC 2019 with the champions going through to Japan as Africa 1 and the runner-up taking part in the global repechage later this year.

    Janco Venter, Cliven Loubser and Justin Newman scored a brace of tries apiece as Namibia backed up earlier victories against Uganda and Tunisia with another clinical performance.

    Fly-half Loubser converted both his own tries and six others in an immaculate display of goal-kicking for a personal haul of 26 points.

    Tight-head prop Johannes Coetzee scored the first of five first-half tries for Namibia with number eight PJ van Lill and flanker Venter next to cross. Winger Newman then got in on the act with two tries in the space of eight minutes.

    Despite losing Bilal Dikhal to a 45th-minute red card, Morocco battled gamely and they were rewarded with a try for winger Karim Qadiri shortly after they had conceded a penalty try.

    Unfortunately for the North Africans, they were unable to breach the Welwitschias’ defence again and Loubser’s brace, either side of Venter’s second, took the winning margin past 50.

    Speaking after the match, Namibia captain Johan Deysel said: “We knew they’d be physical and we’d have to match them there.

    “We did a good job, and I think we were lucky to get the five points. We got here on Tuesday and we prepared well, even though travelling long-distance is hard. Congrats to Morocco for a good game and for playing with a good spirit.”

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