ULIBAMBE ngazo zombili ithuba alinikeziwe umdlali weHollywoodbets Sharks, uSiya Masuku, osezakhele ugazi ebalandelini ngenxa yeminyakazo yakho enkundleni.
UMasuku (27) ogijima kwi-flyhalf, usayine inkontileka yeminyaka emibili neSharks, esuka kwiFree State Cheetahs ngonyaka odlule.
Uhlale izinyanga engadlali ngesikhathi esaphekwa ukuze abe sesimweni esilungele ukudlala kwi-United Rugby Championship.
Ubonakale okokuqala eqenjini eliqeqeshwa nguJohn Plumtree, ngesikhathi lidudulana neDHL Stormers kowe-URC ngoFebhuwari nonyaka. Kulowo mdlalo wangena enkundleni ngomzuzu ka-51, ethatha indawo kaCurwin Bosch.
Wawuqala umdlalo olandelayo bebhekene ne-Emirates Lions kwi-URC, wangabe esalidedela ijezi. Useqale eminye emibili kwi-URC lapho bebedudulane khona ne-Ulster ne-Edinburgh, neminye emibili yeChallenge Cup, bedlala neZebre ne-Edinburgh.
Ulikhuphule kakhulu izinga emidlalweni emibili yakamuva ngesikhathi iSharks ixebula iZebre ngo 47-3 kwiLast 16 yeChallenge Cup, nangesikhathi inqoba i-Edinburgh ngo 36-30 kuma-quarter-final.
Kuyona yomibili imidlalo, uMasuku uqokwe njengomdlali ovelele ngenxa yokuqala iminyakazo eminingi nokungalibheki ipali uma kufanele akhahlele amaphenathi nama-conversion.
“Ngiyaziqhenya kakhulu ngoSiya. Kuqale kwangamhambela kahle ngesikhathi sibhekene ne-Edinburgh kodwa ngijabule ngendlela abuye ngayo,” kusho umqeqeshi weSharks, uPlumtree, ngemva kokuthi iqembu liwashise i-Edinburgh ijezi kwiChallenge Cup.
“Ngiyaziqhenya ngendlela ozakwabo abebemzungezile abamkhuthaze ngayo, wabuya wadlala kahle, ikakhulukazi ngesiwombe sesibili.”
Lo mdlali odabuka ePaulpietersburg, KwaZulu-Natal, uqale ukudlala umbhoxo efunda esikoleni iPiet Retief High, esedolobheni eliseduze esifundazweni saseMpumalanga.
Yilokho okwaholela ekutheni amele iMpumalanga eqenjini lika-Under-18 kwiCraven Week ngesikhathi efunda u-matric ngo-2014.
Ube esedlalela iLions, eGauteng, kusukela ngo-2015 kuya 2018, wadlulela kwiLeopards eNorth-West, ayishiye ngo-2019 eseyogijima kwiSouthern Kings, ezinze e-Eastern Cape. Uhlale khona unyaka ngaphambi kokujoyina iCheetahs ngo-2021.
Umqondisi wezombhoxo kwiSharks, uNeil Powell, uthe yize uMasuku esadlale imidlalo embalwa kuleli qembu kodwa useqalile ukubonakalisa ukuthi unakho konke okudingekayo kwi-flyhalf.
“Uza kahle kakhulu futhi ube nomthelela ekutheni iqembu libuyele endleleni efanele. Nguyena olawula izinto enkundleni futhi ukwenza kahle lokho. Usashaye into ecokeme selokhu anikwa ijezi elingunombolo 10,” kuchza uPowell.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi uyi-flyhalf ephelele. Uyakwazi ukumaka, uyakwazi ukugijima nebhola, uphasa kahle aphinde akhahlele kahle. Uthatha izinqumo eziphusile, uyazi uma kufanele adlalele ngasemuva noma kufanele umnyakazo awuyise phambili.”
Ijezi le-flyhalf uMasuku ulibanga noCurwin Bosch, obekunguyena obejwayele ukuqala imidlalo kuma sizini ambalwa edlule.
Kunamahlebezi okuthi omunye odlala kule ndawo uBoeta Chamberlain, uzolishiya iqembu ayojoyina izimbangi iVodacom Bulls ekupheleni kwesizini.
Ngenyanga edlule iSharks imemezele ukuthi isayinise enye i-flyhalf, uJordan Hendrikse, ezoshiya iLions uma kuphela le sizini.
Umdlalo owandulela owamanqamu eChallenge Cup izowudlala neqembu laseFrance, iClermont Auvergne, eTwickenham Stoop, eLondon, ngoMeyi 4.