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Rossouw hails smarter Namibia

Windhoek - Namibia backline coach Pieter Rossouw believes his side are showing improvement as they move towards a daunting World Cup campaign that includes a meeting with defending champions New Zealand.

Namibia beat Russia 45-5 in Windhoek on Saturday to clinch the two-match series as they ran in five tries to one against a team placed two positions above them on the World Rugby rankings.

It followed a 39-19 success in the first Test last weekend and Rossouw believes the team, who have struggled since winning qualification for the World Cup 12 months ago, will gain in confidence.

"The two victories against a side ranked higher than us has given the players a great deal of confidence," the former Springbok wing said in a press release from the Namibia Rugby Union on Sunday.

"To beat a side like Russia is good for us, but now we need to build on that and improve even further going forward."

Rossouw, formerly backline coach of the Bulls, says the Namibians are starting to think smarter under new head coach Phil Davies, who replaced Danie Vermeulen days before the Russia series started.

"We played a much more controlled game, our game management was improved. We put pressure on our opponents and I was impressed with our team's patience, it paid of with some very good tries."

Namibia's next assignment is a home Test against Kenya on August 8.

They have been drawn in Group C at the World Cup, which runs from September 18-October 31, along with New Zealand, Argentina, Georgia and Tonga.

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