UKUQALA kwemidlalo yamaqoqo kuma-Olympic aseParis namuhla, bengabalwa namaqembu athwelwe ngeqoma kungalisiza iqembu lakuleli labesilisa lombhoxo weSevens, ukuthi lidlale lingenayo ingcindezi enkulu ngokusho kukakaputeni, uSiviwe Soyizwapi.
Lo mdlali owalimala edolweni ngo-Agasti nyakenye, kwadingeka ukuthi ahlinzwe, ukwazile ukwelulama ngesikhathi ukuze ahole leli qembu kulo mqhudelwano.
AmaBlitzbokke azibekisela indawo kuma-Olympic sekuvalwe amehlo ngenyanga edlule ngokunqoba umncintiswano wokugcina wokuhlunga owawuseMonaco.
“Kuningi okushintshile. Siya kulo mqhudelwano sizethemba ukuthi sizothola imiphumela emihle. Sisebenze kanzima ukuzibeka ethubeni lokunqobela izwe lethu izindondo,” kusho uSoyizwapi.
“Kuyajabulisa ukwazi ukuthi sengiwumqemane nokuthi ozakwethu bakulungele konke esizobhekana nakho. Siyakwazi okufanele sikwenze. Sizongena kulo mqhudelwano kungalindelwe lukhulu kithina kodwa thina siyazi ukuthi singahamba ibanga elide kangakanani.”
Iqembu lakuleli lizobhekana ne-Ireland, New Zealand neJapan kuPool A. KuPool B kuqhathwe i-Argentina, Australia, Samoa kanti kuPool C kuzodudulana osokhaya iFrance, iFiji, USA ne-Uruguay.
AmaBlitzbokke azovula ne-Ireland namuhla ngo-5.30 ntambama bese ebhekana neNew Zealand ngo-9.30 ebusuku. Umdlalo wokugcina wamaqoqo izowudlala neJapan kusasa ngo-4 ntambama.
Umqeqeshi uPhillip Snyman, uthe bazimisele ukuthi bafinyelele kude kulo mqhudelwano kodwa umdlalo omqoka kakhulu owokuvula ne-Ireland.
“Leli elinye ithuba lokumela izwe lethu futhi senze konke okusemandleni ukuthi sibuye nokuthile. I-Ireland neNew Zealand badlala isitayela esifanayo. Baqatha kunathi futhi banamandla, bazozama ukwenza umdlalo uhambe kancane,” usho kanje.
“Thina sigabe ngabadlali abanesivinini kodwa izitha zizozama ukusivimba ukuthi sikusebenzise lokho. I-Ireland iyona esigxile kakhulu kuyona njengamanje, sifuna ukuqala kahle ukuze sibe nesisekelo esiqinile.”
Kuzobe kungokwesithathu kulandelana leli qembu lakuleli lingena kuma-Olympic. Ngo-2016, eRio, labuya nezindondo zethusi, kwathi ngo-2020 lakhishwa kuma-quarter-final.
Iqembu lamaBlitzbokke elizodlala kuma-Olympic: Siviwe Soyizwapi, Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, Impi Visser, Zain Davids, Quewin Nortje, Tiaan Pretorius, Shaun Williams, Selvyn Davids, Tristan Leyds, Rosko Specman, Shilton van Wyk.
Abazofakwa uma kukhona abalimalayo: Ronald Brown, Katlego Letebele.