Umqeqeshi weSpringbok, uJacques Nienaber, uthi okwenzeka phakathi kukaRassie Erasmus neWorld Rugby ngeke kuliphazamise iqela lakhe phambi komdlalo omkhulu ngempelaveki. Oku kulandela ukusikwa kukaRassie emva kokuba ebhence iziphene zoosompempe kwakhona. Konke oku kwenzeka kanye xa AmaBhokobhoko elungiselela ukudibana neNgilane emdlalweni omkhulu oza kube useTwickenham emalanga ngoMgqibelo. Yimfazwe le ajongene nayo uNienaber namakhwenkwe wakhe ngoba amaNgesi asaqumbile emva kokuba abethwa nguMzantsi Afrika emdlalweni wokugqibela wetumente yehlabathi yombhoxo eyayibanjelwe eJapan ngonyaka ka-2019. Lithuba elihle lamaNgesi lokufumana impindezelo ekhaya.
AmaBhokobhoko aya emdlalweni ekhuthazekile emva kokubhulela amasaka i-Italy ngo’63-21 emdlalweni obukwiveki ephelileyo. “Okwenzeka kuRassie akuzusichaphazela. Iingqondo zethu sizibeke emdlalweni ophambi kwethu,” utshilo uNienaber emva kokubhengeza amagama wabadlali abaza kuqala umdlalo ngoMgqibelo. Umqeqeshi wenze iinguqu zamadoda amane kulawo anethemba kokuba aya kunceda uMzantsi Afrika okhe watywatyushwa yiFrance ne-Ireland emidlalweni emibini. UMakazole Mapimpi, uJesse Kriel, uEvan Roos no-Eben Etzebeth baza kuqala umdlalo xa iSpringbok sidibana neNgilane.
Zizonke iinguqu azenzileyo umqeqeshi zisibhozo. Kungayinto emnandi kakhulu kuMzantsi Afrika ukuvala unyaka notyelelo lwaseYurophu ngokubetha iqela elikhulu njengeNgilane. Njengokuba amazwe elungiselela indebe yehlabathi ekunyaka ozayo eFrance – lithuba elihle labadlali beSpringbok lokubonisa umqeqehi ukuba bakulungele ukudlala kwinqanaba eliphezulu embhoxweni. “Bekunyanzelekile sizenze iinguqu kulo mdlalo esiya kuwo. Kuye wonke umdlali ofuna ukuziqaqambisa, ayikho indawo enkulu anokuyenza kuyo ngaphezulu kweTwickenham eza kube igcwele,” uthilo uNienaber, oya emdlalweni omkhulu ngaphandle kukaRassie Erasmus owaziwa njengongqondongqondo embhoxweni wehlabathi.
Lumka Oliphant: ‘Yekani utywala’