XOLILE MPISANE
ZIDALULIWE izinsuku nezikhathi zemidlalo yomqhudelwano iCarling Currie Cup kulo nyaka, yinhlangano eyengamele izindaba zebhola lombhoxo kuleli, iSA Rugby.
Asiside kangako isikhathi esedlule selokhu iVodacom Bulls yabhaxabula iCell C Sharks ngo 44-10 eLoftus Versfeld ngoSepthemba nyakenye kodwa ngempelsonto, uzoqala kabusha mqhudelwano.
Umdlalo wokuqala ungoLwesihlanu ebusuku ngo-7, lapho iBulls izotholana phezulu nePumas, eMbombela Stadium, eNelspruit.
Eminye yemidlalo emibili yomzuliswano wokuqala, izokuba ngoMgqibelo ngo-2:30 ntambama, phakathi kweToyota Cheetahs neTafel Lager Griquas eToyota Stadium, eBloemfontein, bese kuthi ngo-5 ntambama kube oweDHL Western Province ezobhekana neSigma Lions, eCape Town Stadium.
Imizuliswano emihlanu kwengu-14 yeCurrie Cup yalo nyaka, ihlelelwe ukuba idlalwe phakathi nesonto.
Kanti iSharks ngeke idlale emzuliswaneni yokuqala, izoqala umkhankaso wayo ekhaya ngoLwesithathu ebusuku uma isibhekene neGriquas. Owayengumdlali weSharks namaBhokobhoko, u-Etienne Fynn, uzohola iqembu leCurrie Cup kanti uzosizwa yinkakha yamaSharks namaBhokobhoko, uJP Pietersen.
IBulls isiyiphakamise kabili kulandelana indebe yeCurrie Cup, igingqa iSharks kuyo yomibili imidlalo yamanqamu. Izobe ibheke ukuyinqoba okwesithathu njengoba yenza ngo-2002, 2003 no-2004.
UGert Smal, uzophatha iqembu leBulls leCurrie Cup kanti uzosizwa nguPine Pienaar, uHayden Groepes no-Edgar Marutlulle.
Umqondisi kwezombhoxo kumaBulls, uJake White, unethemba lokuthi ithimba labaqeqeshi lizoqhubeka nomgqigqo omuhle iqembu laseTshwane, ebelikuwona kule minyaka emibili edlule.
“Sinenhlanhla kwiBulls ngokuba nenqwaba yabaqeqeshi abanekhono ezinhlakeni zethu,” kusho uWhite.
“Umqeqeshi onolwazi njengoGert uzosebenza ngokukhululeka nomqeqeshi onesipiliyoni njengoPine Pienaar, umuntu osebenza kanzima nozinikele njengoHayden Groepes kanye no-Edgar Marutlulle, ongene kahle kwezokuqeqesha ngemuva kokuyeka ukudlala.
“Asingabazi ukuthi leli thimba labaqeqeshi nesikwati esinaso bazoqhubeka nokuphephezelisela phezulu ifulegi leVodacom Bulls kwiCarling Currie Cup kulo nyaka."
UMziwakhe Nkosi, uzoba yinhloko yabaqeqeshi kwiLions, esebenzisana noWessel Roux, uPhilip Lemmer noWynand Ellis.
EKapa, uJerome Paarwater uzobamba izintambo eqenjini leWestern Province, asizwe nguKabamba Floors noNazeem Adams.