Namibia’s head coach Allister Coetzee on Thursday picked an experienced line-up for the African nation’s Rugby World Cup opener against Italy in Saint-Etienne this weekend.
The South African has selected eight players who played against Italy at the last World Cup in Japan, four years ago.
Former Bayonne hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld, 36, is in the starting line-up alongside props Aronas Coetzee, 35, and 30-year-old Des Sethie.
Lock Tjiuee Uanivi, 32, also starts while 35-year-old prop Casper Viviers is on the replacements bench.
Italy coach Kieran Crowley has named an exciting backline with dynamic French-born Ange Capuozzo set to make his World Cup bow at right wing.
Tommaso Allan has been selected at full-back with Paolo Garbisi taking the fly-half jersey and Australian-born Monty Ioane on the left wing after his three-try salvo against Japan in Italy’s last warm-up match.
The sides have won two each of their previous four encounters.
They line up in Pool A alongside tournament favourites France and New Zealand, and minnows Uruguay.
Teams:
Italy (15-1):
Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro (capt), Sebastian Negri; Federico Ruzza, Dino Lamb; Simone Ferrari, Giacomo Nicotera, Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: Hame Faiva, Ivan Nemer, Marco Riccioni, David Sisi, Manuel Zuliani, Martin Page-Relo, Paolo Odogwu, Pierre Bruno
Nambia (15-1):
Divan Rossouw; Gerswin Mouton, Johan Deysel (capt), Danco Burger, JC Greyling; Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Johan Retief, Richard Hardwick, Wian Conradie; Tjiuee Uanivi, Adriaan Ludick; Aranos Coetzee, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Des Sethie
Remplacements: Jason Benade, Louis van der Westhuizen, Casper Viviers, Tiaan de Klerk, Prince !Gaoseb, Jacques Theron, Andre van der Berg, Le Roux Malan
