Deysel’s Namibia ‘leave everything on field’ to reach Rugby World Cup, Kenya join Portugal in November repechage
- Victory sends Namibia through to global tournament for seventh time in a row
- Hong Kong can qualify for the first time if they beat Tonga in two weeks, lose and they will play in repechage competition
Namibia captain Johan Deysel said his side “left everything on the field” as they reached the 2023 Rugby World Cup thanks to Sunday’s 36-0 win over Kenya in Aix-en-Provence.
Flanker Wian Conradie, who plays for the New England Free Jacks in the United States, scored a hat-trick as The Welwitschias claimed a place in the global tournament for a seventh straight occasion.
“We had a big build-up to this game,” Deysel told Canal+ after victories over Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals and last four of the Africa Cup which doubled up as World Cup qualifiers.
“We knew Kenya are always tough. We had to leave everything on the field today and we did it,” the centre added.
Namibia will face hosts France, who will move top of the world rankings on Monday, three-time winners New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay in Pool A of the World Cup with their opening match against the Azzurri on September 9.
“We’re not scared at all,” Namibia hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld told Canal+. “It’s always an honour to play a World Cup, not every player plays at a World Cup.