New Zealand vs Namibia Prediction & Betting Tips - Rugby World Cup

Prediction published on 13/09/2023, 12:45  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 15/09/2023 at 07:00 in Rugby World Cup Prediction

Week two in Pool A of the 2023 Rugby World Cup will see New Zealand take on Namibia on Friday evening. The All Blacks are currently in fourth place in the pool standings, while the Welwitschias are at the bottom of the group. New Zealand will be hoping to bounce back from the 27-13 loss they suffered against France in the opening match of the competition. Having also lost to South Africa in their final warm-up match, the All Blacks have now lost back-to-back matches for the first time in over a year. However, prior to their loss against the Springboks, New Zealand were on an 11-match unbeaten run, which saw them lift the 2023 Rugby Championship title for the third successive season. During that time, they were ranked second in the world but are now in fourth place. Still, the All Blacks class is undeniable, and while they have suffered a setback, they are strongly expected to win this match. 

Meanwhile, Namibia suffered the second-highest margin of defeat in the first round of matches. They were beaten 52-8 by Italy, with only Romania losing by a bigger margin of 82-8 against Ireland later the same day. The Namibians had a mixed warm-up campaign which included a 26-18 loss to Uruguay, followed by a 28-26 victory over Chile at the start of last month. The Welwitschias are ranked 21st in the world standings, which is the lowest ranking of any team in Pool A. They are competing in their sixth consecutive World Cup, though the African side have never won a match at the competition. Namibia have faced the All Blacks on two previous occasions at the RWC, which ended in a 58-14 loss in 2015 and a 71-9 battering in 2019. It would be one of the greatest-ever upsets in the history of Rugby World Cups if the visitors were to win this one.