Namibia delivered the biggest upset of the Rugby World Cup pool stage, stunning the Netherlands 21-14 at Stade de France to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive and send shockwaves through Pool A.
The Welwitschias controlled the scrum battle from the opening whistle, with prop Johan Coetzee and hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld dominating at the set piece to lay the foundation for three tries that silenced the heavily favored Dutch side.
Botha’s Boot Proves Decisive
Flyhalf Cliven Loubser orchestrated the upset with 11 points off the tee, converting all three tries and adding a crucial penalty in the 73rd minute that put the game away. The 28-year-old pivot, who spent three seasons in France’s Pro D2, controlled territory masterfully in wet conditions that favored Namibia’s forward-heavy approach.
“We knew we had to be physical up front,” Loubser said after the match. “The boys in the pack gave us the platform, and we executed our game plan perfectly.”
Center JC Greyling scored the match-winner in the 68th minute, finishing off a driving maul that started 15 meters out. The try capped a dominant second-half performance where Namibia outscored the Netherlands 14-7 to complete the comeback.
Dutch Dreams Dashed
The Netherlands entered the match as heavy favorites after their impressive 31-17 victory over Portugal two weeks prior. Captain Dirk de Bruin’s side controlled possession for long stretches but couldn’t convert field position into points, managing just two tries through winger Maurice van der Merwe and replacement scrum-half Tim Visser.
Dutch coach Marcel van der Merwe made six changes to his starting XV, including benching star number eight Jasper Wiese, a decision that backfired as his replacement struggled in the lineout. The Netherlands lost five throws in the second half alone, killing promising attacking opportunities.
“Credit to Namibia, they came to play,” van der Merwe said. “We didn’t adapt well to the conditions and our execution let us down in crucial moments.”
Pool A Standings Shuffle
The victory moves Namibia to second place in Pool A with 9 points from three matches, level with France but trailing on points differential. The Netherlands drop to fourth with 6 points, making their path to the knockout rounds significantly more difficult with matches against England and France still to come.
Namibia’s pack, anchored by locks PJ van Lill and Tjiuee Uanivi, won the scrum penalty count 6-2 and secured 14 lineouts to just 9 for the Dutch. The Welwitschias also forced 18 turnovers, with flanker Wian Conradie leading the charge with four steals.
Historic Achievement
The victory marks Namibia’s first-ever win over European opposition at a Rugby World Cup and just their fourth pool stage victory in seven tournament appearances since 1999. Head coach Allister Coetzee, the former Springboks boss, has transformed the Welwitschias into a competitive unit since taking over 18 months ago.
“This group has worked incredibly hard to get to this point,” Coetzee said. “We’re not done yet – we believe we can make the quarterfinals for the first time.”
Namibia’s defensive effort proved equally impressive, with fullback Chrysander Botha making 11 tackles without a miss and the team keeping the Netherlands scoreless for the final 22 minutes despite sustained pressure near their try line.
The Welwitschias will face England in their final pool match next Saturday, knowing a bonus-point victory could secure their maiden quarterfinal berth if other results fall their way.
