Nangona kungasekho nto ibalulekileyo kule midlalo kwicala layo iSouthern Kings – kodwa ilwe kwakuko ngethuba iziqwabaza neempondo iiBulls ngo’31-30 kumdlalo weSuper Rugby ngale ntlwa yanamhlanje eLoftus Stadium. Ixesha belisiya ekupheleni ngethuba uLionel Cronje weKings esithi gqi nepenela enike iqela laseMpuma Koloni impumelelo ebalulekileyo kwisixeko sasePitoli.
IKings ziyaphuma kwiSuper Rugby emva kokukhetha ukuthi gu bucala phambi kwentlanganiso ebiseKapa izolo – apho bekulindeleke kuthathwe isigqibo ngamaqela amabini azakuguzulwa njengoko yagqibayo iSanzaar ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka. Ayihambanga yodwa iKings, ikhatshwe yiCheetahs – nayo ekhethe ukuyeka phambi kokuba inyolwe ngabasemagunyeni.
Kuyiwe kwixesha lokuphumla iqela lombhoxo laseMpuma Koloni lihamba phambili. Oko kuze emva komsebenzi omhle owenziwe ngumdlali wasephikweni, uMakazole Mapimpi, olele emgceni emva kokusebenzisana kakuhle noogxa bakhe. Akukho nto ingako eyenziwe ziBulls kwisigaba sokuqala ngoba ayinikwanga thuba lakudlala kakuhle yiKings. Nangona iKings ibidlisela ngaloo mdlalo wayo mhle, ubalekayo nokugcina ibhola ezandleni – kodwa iiBulls zibuye ngamandla kwisigaba sesibini futhi kwaphantse kwachitheka umphothulo. Iqela lasePitoli likwazile ukusukela latsho lahamba phambili ngamanqaku phambi kokumoshwa nguCronje olohluthe intlaka emlonyeni kwimizuzu yokugqibela ngethuba ethatha iKings eyibeka endaweni entle kushiyeke imizuzu emithathu kuphela.
Wandile Mjekevu of the Kings tackled by Tian Schoeman of the Bulls during the 2017 Super Rugby match between the Bulls and Kings at Loftus Stadium, Pretoria on 08 July 2017 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
IKings ziyivale ngeyona ndlela intle isizini yazo yokugqibela kwiSuper Rugby. Ngoku ziza kuzama ukufumana indawo kwimibutho yombhoxo yaseYurophu kwisizini ezayo. Nakubeni bekukhona ukusokoliswa ziingxaki zolawulo oluheshe-heshe nokunqongophala kwezimali – kodwa iKings izamile kule sizini ukuzibonakalisa nangona isiqalo sesizini besingancumisi.
Bulls – Abalele emgceni: Jason Jenkins, Duncan Matthews, Jaco Visagie. Conversions:Tian Schoeman(3). Amapenela:Schoeman (3).
Kings – Abalele emgceni: Makazole Mapimpi, Lionel Cronjé, Malcolm Jaer. Conversions: Lionel Cronjé (2). Penalties: Cronjé (3). Drop goal: Cronjé.
Bulls – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Duncan Matthews, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Nic de Jager, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Adriaan Strauss (c), 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Amalalela: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 John-Roy Jenkinson, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Shaun Adendorff, 21 Andre Warner, 22 Tinus de Beer, 23 Burger Odendaal.
Kings – 15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Wandile Mjekevu, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Lionel Cronje (c), 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Lubabalo Mtyanda, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Mzamo Majola.
Amalalela: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Mzwanele Zito, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Stefan Ungerer, 22 Masixole Banda, 23 Yaw Penxe.
Silungiselela ukukhusela indebe yethu kwiWafcon, utsho uDesiree Ellis