Njengokuba uRassie Erasmus esakha iqela lesizwe lombhoxo ngokutsha, kulo nyaka usebenzise abadlali abohlukeneyo emidlalweni eyohlukeneyo. Akukho nto eza kujika nasemidlalweni emibini eza kudlalela eMzantsi Afrika kwezi veki zimbini.
Xa Amabhokobhoko edibana neNew Zealand emdlalweni weRugby Championship emalanga ngoMgqibelo, amehlo onke abantu e’Ellis Park Stadium aza kube ebekwe kuAphelele Fassi. Umqeqeshi uthe lifikile ixesha lokuba uFassi aziqaqambise.
UFassi, 26, odlalela iqela lombhoxo ekuthiwa yiNatal Sharks, ngomnye wabadlali abadlala kakuhle kakhulu futhi ekubonakalayo ukuba uRassie ufuna ukumenza enye yeentsika zeSpringbok njengokuba kulindeleke abadlali abadala bakhutshwe kufakwe abatsha ekuhambeni kwexesha.
Esona sizathu esibangele achongwe kukuba uRassie ufuna ukumvavanyo xa uMzantsi Afrika udlala noompondozihlanjiwe embhoxweni wehlabathi. Sekulithuba ekwiSpringbok – kodwa uFassi zange adlaliswe kakhulu nguJacques Nienaber eminyakeni yokuqala.
“Silindele uAphelele azibonakalise. Oko iqalekile le veki, ndisoloko ndimkhumbuza ukuba lifikile ixesha lakhe lokubonisa ihlabathi lonke ukuba ungumdlali osemgangathweni ophezulu,” utshilo uRassie owonzakalelwe nguEben Etzebeth emdlalweni obusePerth kutshanje.
“Lifikile ixeha lokuba azibonakalise edlala neNew Zealand. Kufuneka enze ngcono kwiibhola eziphezulu engaliphakamisanga unyawo lakhe. Njengomdlali odlala ephikweni, umdlalo wakhe uphucukile ngoku,” utshilo uRassie.
Nakubeni Amabhokobhoko eqhube kakuhle kulo nyaka – kodwa aza kufumana uvavanyo xa edlala neNew Zealand. Umqeqeshi uthi iSpringbok ngeke siyidelele iNew Zealand ngoba iyingozi. Amabhokobhoko aphumelela eFrance kufuneka azibonakalise nakulo unyaka.
“Asobe sizibhanxe ngokungahloniphi iAll Blacks. Sayibetha kwitumente yehlabathi ngenqaku elinye jwi. Sidlala neNew Zealand ebethe amaqela aziwayo futhi siyayazi ukuba lilizwe eliwuthandayo umbhoxo,” utshilo uRassie. UMzantsi Afrika uza kuphinda udlale neNew Zealand kwiveki ezayo eKapa.
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