UKHOLELWA ekutheni ukuhluleka kwamaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika ukudlulela esigabeni somkhumulajezi kwi-Investec Champions Cup kuyithuba lokuthi athuthuke kulo mqhudelwano ukaputeni weHollywoodbets Sharks, uSiya Kolisi.
Amaqembu amathathu abemele leli kulo mqhudelwano ohlanganisa namaqembu aqhamuka emazweni ahlukene ase-Europe, iSharks, DHL Stormers neVodacom Bulls, wonke ahlulekile ukufinyelela kwi-Last 16.
ISharks ixetshulwe yiqembu laseFrance, iBordeaux Begles, ngo 66-12 emdlalweni wokugcina wamaqoqo ngeSonto ntambama, kwathi iStormers yaguqiswa ngelinye iqembu laseFrance, iRacing 92, ngo 31-22 ngoMgqibelo.
ISharks iqede endaweni yesine ku-Pool 1, okusho ukuthi izodlala kwi-Last 16 ye-Challenge Cup okungumqhudelwano eliwunqobe ngesizini edlule.
IStormers iqede emsileni kuPool 4, okuchaza ukuthi isisalelwe yi-United Rugby Championship (URC) kuphela kule sizini.
IBulls ibhudluze iStade Francais ngo 48-7 emdlalweni wayo wokugcina wamaqoqo, yaqeda endaweni yesihlanu kuPool 3. Leli qembu lasePitoli lijoyine iSharks kwi-Last 16 yeChallenge Cup.
UKolisi uthe nakuba bebehlose ukwenza kangcono kwiChampions Cup, okuyiwona umqhudelwano omkhulukazi, bazimisele ukufunda emaphutheni abo.
“Sidinga ukudlala kangcono, ngeke sibeke izaba. Lona wumqhudelwano omkhulu futhi sisanda kuqala ukudlala kuwona eminyakeni embalwa edlule. Nakanjani sizolikhuphula izinga,” kusho uKolisi.
“Asikwazi ukubeka izaba mayelana nesimo sezulu nezinye izinto. Kufanele sithole indlela yokumelana nezimo ezahlukene. Uma siqhubeka nokudlala kule miqhudelwano sizoyithola indlela yokudlala kahle kuyona yomibili (iChampions Cup ne-URC).
“Okubalulekile wukuqinisekisa ukuthi iqembu ngalinye linabadlali abenele abakulungele ukudlala kuleli zinga. Leyo ngenye yezinto esingazifunda emaqenjini aseFrance. Uma singadlali kahle nakanjani sizogxekwa futhi kusifanele lokho.
“Siyanconywa uma senza kahle ngakho-ke uma singenzi kahle kufanele sikwamukele ukuthi sizogxekwa. Engingakusho wukuthi uma siphinde silithola elinye ithuba lokudlala kulo mqhudelwano sizoba ngcono.”
I-Emirates Lions, ebivele idlala kwiChallenge Cup, nayo izibekisele indawo kwi-Last 16 yalo mqhudelwano ngokubhaxabula iqembu laseWales, iDragons, ngo 60-10 ngoMgqibelo, yalala endaweni yesine eqoqweni layo.
Elinye iqembu lakuleli ebeliyibambe kwiChallenge Cup, iToyota Cheetahs, liqede endaweni yesihlanu eqoqweni lalo, lahluleka ukudlulela kweyomkhumulajezi.
ISharks, Bulls neLions sebezogxila emidlalweni yabo esele esigabeni samaqoqo kwi-URC ngaphambi kokubuyela kwi-Last 16 yeChallenge Cup ngo-Ephreli.
ISharks izobhekana neqembu laseFrance, iLyon, iBulls nayo ilibangise eFrance ukuyodudulana neBayonne, bese iLions ivakashela elaseScotland, i-Edinburgh.