ILions isikhathele ukumincisa abalandeli
Izojika izinto kowamanqamu weSuper Rugby
IZOLWELA ukugwema ukuphisana ngamaphuzu zisasuka iLions kowamanqamu weVodacom Super Rugby ezowugijima neCrusaders yaseNew Zealand emdlalweni ozokuba ngoMgqibelo eChristchurch.
Leli qembu laseGoli seliphoqeleke kathathu kulandelana ukubuya sekuvalwe amehlo emidlalweni yalo yakamuva uma sekubalwa nakoweWaratahs owandulela owamanqamu weSuper Rugby. ILions inqobe iWaratahs ngo-44-26 ngoMgqibelo e-Ellis Park Stadium, eGoli, okwenze yadlulela kowamanqamu.
ILions ikwaze ukubuya ilandela ngemuva emidlalweni yasekhaya ibhekene ngokwahlukana neBulls, iJaguares neWaratahs kanti kuyinto engafihliwe ukuthi ngeke kube lula ukubuya nxa isibhekene naleli qembu laseNew Zealand.
“Sizozama konke okusemandleni ukuba sidlale kangcono kakhulu kowamanqamu, singaphisani ngamaphuzu umdlalo usasuka,” kusho ukaputeni weLi- ons, uWarren Whiteley emuva kokuba ezakhe zingenelwe ngamatry amabili emizuzwini engu-8 yokuqala zibhekene neWaratahs.
ILions izokube idlala owamanqamu weSuper Rugby okwesithathu iminyaka ilandelana kanti nyakenye iguqiswe yiCrusaders emdlalweni obuseGoli.
“Sithwale kanzima sibhekene neWaratahs. Siphoqelekile ukuba siqhamuke namaqhinga amasha okunqoba, saqinisa nendlela ebesivimbe ngayo emuva,” kusho uWhiteley.
Nokho umqeqeshi weLions, uSwys de Bruin ukhombise ukubazwela abadlali bakhe ezingeni eliphansi abaqale ngalo umdlalo weWaratahs yase-Australia.
“Eqinisweni besithwele kanzima umdlalo usaqala, ibhola besingalitholi nhlobo,” kusho lo mqeqeshi emuva kwalo mdlalo.
Uqhube ngokuthi baqale bengaphansi kwengcindezi yokuzama ukuvimba amafolosi eWaratahs eqale umdlalo ingagayelwa mphako.
“Sinele saqala nje ukuthola ibhola izinto zajika, zavuna iqe- mbu lami,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.
Ngesikhathi iLions ibhekene neBulls mhla ka-14 kwephezulu, yaqale yalandela ngemuva ngo-120 ngaphambi kokujika izinto yagcina inqobe ngo-38-12 e-Ellis Park. Kuma- quarter-final lapho iLions ibibhekene khona neJaguares, leli qembu likaDe Bruin liphisane ngamaphenathi amabili okwenze lalandela ngemuva ngo-6-0 zisasuka kodwa lagcina linqobe ngo-4023.
“Kubukeka sengathi kumele siqale sivumele izitha ukuba zihambe phambili bese siyazibhozomela kamuva,” kusho uDe Bruin.
Nokho lo mqeqeshi uthi naye kumphathisa ngekhanda ukuqala imidlalo kabi. Uthi ngokunjalo nakubalandeli kuba ngesifanayo bemincela ezabo ukuba zikhave.
“Nakuba lesi simo sibaqinisa abadlali, bakuqonde ukuthi bangabuya noma kunzima kangakanani kodwa-ke kakusona isimo esimnandi ukuba kusona. Sizimisele ngokukulungisa lokhu ngaphambi komdlalo neCrusaders,” kusho lo mqeqeshi.