Newly-acquired Mpilo Gumede dotted down on debut to help the Vodacom Bulls register a victory over Namibia in a World Cup warm-up in Windhoek.
Gumede turned in an MVP performance as the Vodacom Bulls claimed a seven-try, 43-30 win against the Welwitschias.
What a way to begin your @Vodacom Bulls career 💪 A man of the Match display from Mpilo Gumede 🐂 pic.twitter.com/AC571iOJOB
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) August 26, 2023
FT in Windhoek and the W in the bag 🐂 pic.twitter.com/B22Lb6gjhu
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) August 26, 2023
Played at a sold-out WHS Stadium, as the locals turned out to bid farewell to the national team selected for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the Vodacom Bulls took less than five minutes to open the scoring.
The visitors went into the break 19-13 ahead and continued to put on the pressure to come away with a memorable win and vital preparation for the coming season.
“This was a great defensive performance as much as it was an attacking match. The boys showed great spirit on attack but they were even more impressive on the defensive line,” said director of rugby Jake White.
“The Namibians put us under immense pressure on the cusp of the break but the boys held their own and on the dying minutes of the second half, with their fans behind them, they were on us again and we responded well yet again. I am proud of their performance, yes the game is pre-season and there are certain elements that we need to polish but otherwise, the boys were impressive.
“For us, this game was as important as it was for the Namibians because they needed the competition to help fine-tune their skill, we were happy to be there for them because that is what good neighbours do. I am sure Allister (Coetzee) got some good answers from his side and we wish them well as they head to France this coming week.”
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On injuries, White reported a clean bill of health: “We are happy that we are all walking away from this with no major concerns, just bumps and minor bruises at the moment. We will know once the doctors perform their assessments but at face value, everyone is healthy and that bodes us well as we continue with our work in the pre-season period.”
The Vodacom Bulls return to Loftus to continue with their pre-season work as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship season start nears. The 2023/24 campaign will begin with a match against Scarlets in what will be a newly seeded pitch at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Namibia, meanwhile, will travel to the World Cup, where they have been placed in Pool A – alongside the hosts France, three-time champions New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay – and will be looking for a first-ever win at the tournament.
BULLS – Tries: Deon Slabbert, WJ Steenkamp, Mpilo Gumede, Stravino Jacobs, Cornal Hendricks, Tiaan Lange, Bernard van der Linde. Conversions: Jaco van der Walt (4)
Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/Twitter