Ithemba likhulu kuSharks bonke bayimiqemane
IQEMBU lombhoxo laKwaZulu- Natal iSharks lifuna ukuqhubeka nokwenza kahle njengoba umqhudelwano weSuper Rugby liwuvule ngokuthi linqobe ngele dlule.
Leli qembu elicijwa nguRobert du Preez ngeledlule liguqise iSunwolves yaseTokyo, eJapan ngamaphuzu angama-45 kwali-10 emdlalweni owawubanjelwe eSingapore National Stadium.
Kusasa ngoMgqibelo lizotholana phezulu neBlues yaseNew Zealand, lo mdlalo uzobanjelwa eJonsson Kings Park Stadium, eThekwini uzoqala ngele-3:05 ntambama.
IBlues iza kulo mdlalo nje isizini yeSuper Ruby iyivule kabi njengoba ihlulwe womkhaya bayo iCrusaders ngamaphuzu angama-24 kwangama-22, okubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi yahlulelwa enkundleni yayo i-Eden Park. Isekela lo mqeqeshi weSharks uDavid William uthe: “Ngiyayithanda indlela iqembu elidlala ngayo, likhombise ukuzethemba okukhulu yize belidlala ekuhambeni. Kunzima ukunqoba kuSuper Rugby kwazise eminye imidlalo uyidlala ngaphandle kwalapha eNingizimu Afrika, lokho kusho ukuthi abalandeli basuke bebancane abasuke bekweseka. ISunwolves ngeledlule ungathi bekuyiyo ekade ivakashile kwazise besingayinike thuba phambili bekungathi sithelwe ngezibonkolo, kusho uWilliam.”
Okuqinisa kakhulu idolo iSharks ukuthi akekho umdlali olimalile eqenjini elinqobe eNew Zealand. La maqembu egcina ukutholana ngesizini ephelile, emdlalweni owawubanjelwe wawubanjelwe e-Eden Park Stadium ngoNdasa wanyakenye kwanqoba ezika Robert du Preez ngamaphuzu angama-63 kwangama-40.
ISharks ngesizini edlule uma kubalwa wona wonke amaqembu iphume endaweni yesi-8, kwathi iBlues yona yaphuma kweye-14. Emaqenjini amahlanu alapha eNingizimu Afrika iSharks iphume endaweni yesithathu, kwathi iBlues emaqenjini amahlanu aseNew Zealand yaphuma endaweni yesihlanu.
UWilliams uqhube wathi: “Ukudlala ekhaya kuhlezi kusiqinisa idolo ngoba siyazi abalandeli bethu basuke bezophuma ngobuningi babo. Sizimisele ukuthi siwunqobe lo mdlalo, ngoba sifuna ukuthi sibalwe namaqembu aphezulu uma sekusongwa isizini.”
Omunye umdlalo ozobe ubhekwe kakhulu kule mpelasonto ozoba phakathi kwamaqembu akuleli iStormers neLions. Lo mdlalo uzoqala ngelesi-5:15 ntambama, uzobanjelwa eDHL Newlands Stadium, eKapa.