Iqela eliphambili kumbhoxo welizwe loMzantsi, iBulls, lizikhotha amanxeba emva kokubethwa kakubi yiChiefs. Eli qela likhokelwa ngu-Adriaan Strauss livuthululwe ngo’28-12 yiChiefs kumdlalo weSupar Rugby, eHamilton, izolo emva kwemini. UStrauss ukugxeke kakhulu ukuthamba kweqela lakhe kwisiqingatha somdlalo. Okwenzekileyo kulo mdlalo kuyothusa ngoba iBulls ziye kwisigaba sesibini inkqenkqeza phambili ngamanqaku alithoba kwamathathu qha kwiChiefs.

Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo iBulls ibikwelinye inqanaba kwaye belikhona ithemba lokufumana impumelelo kwiqela laseNew Zealand. Nangona iChiefs ibiphantsi koxinizelelo kwisiqingatha sokuqala – kodwa abadlali bayo bakwazile ukubuyela emdlalweni ngendlela encomekayo kakhulu. Umonde obonakele kubadlali beChiefs kulo mdlalo ngowo obenegalelo kule mpumelelo yaphezolo. Impazamo yokuqala eyenziwe yiBulls inike ithuba uShaun Stevenson ofake ipenela enike iChiefs amandla wokubuyela emdlalweni kwisigaba sesibini somdlalo – kanti yena u-Aaron Cruden ebethe chu efaka amapenela.

Iqela lasePitoli, iBulls, iyakuphonononga indlela iChiefs efumene ngayo ipenela yokugqibela – emva koko ayikwazi ukungazohlwayi ngayo. Emva kwesiqalo esihle eHamilton, iBulls ibuya ingenanto esandleni kwaye ukapteni, u-Andriaan Strauss, uthi yinto enzima kakhulu ukuyamkela into eyenzekileyo. “Ndicinga ukuba sizicacisile kakuhle xa sisiya phambili – kodwa ukwenza kwthu ngamanye amaxesha kosiphoxile.” Utshilo uStrauss.

“Siyazama ukuzilungisa iingxaki esinazo, siyathemba kumdlalo wethu ozayo neSunwolves sakuthi sikwazi ukuphucula izinto,” utshilo uStrauss.

Lo kapteni weBulls uvumile kekambe ukuba iimpazamo ezincinci ezenziwe liqela lakhe kuko okubangele lingakwazi ukufumana impumelelo emdlweni. “Akhona amaxesha esibhatyazileyo ngawo kwisigaba sesibini. Umdlalo wethu kwisigaba sokuqala ubumhle kwaye besisilwa. Khange kwanele oko ngoba kulo umdlalo kufuneka uqinise umqolo kude kuphele umdlalo,” utshilo uStrauss.

Yena ukapteni weChiefs, u-Aaron Cruden, uncome iqela lakhe. “Khange siwuqale kakuhle umdlalo – kodwa kwesesibini isigaba somdlalo – izinto ziye zatshintsha,” utshilo uCruden.

Komnye umdlalo weSuper Rugby, iCrusders ibethe iWaratahs ngo’41-22 kumdlalo obuseSidney.