ULINDELE ukuthi iqembu lakhe lingene enkundleni lizethemba uma selibhekene neClermont Auvergne kowandulela owamanqamu eChallenge Cup kusasa ukaputeni weHollywoodbets Sharks, uLukhanyo Am.
Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-1.30 emini eTwickenham Stoop, eLondon. Le nkundla okungeyona eyawo womabili la maqembu yayivele iqokiwe ukuthi izosingatha lo mdlalo.
ISharks ifinyelele kule sigaba ngokuwashisa iqembu laseScotland, i-Edinburgh, ijezi kuma-quarter-final ngo 36-30. IClermont idlule kwi-Ulster yase-Ireland ngo 53-14.
ISharks ephekwa nguJohn Plumtree, ike yaphenduka inhlekisa ekuqaleni kwesizini ngesikhathi iwukudla kwenduku komunye umqhudelwano, i-United Rugby championship.
Imangaze iningi iqhamuka seyiyiqembu elehlukile kwi-Challenge Cup, lapho iqhwakele khona eqoqweni layo ngaphambi kokunqoba imidlalo emibili yomkhumulajezi.
U-Am uthe ukuzibekisela indawo kowamanqamu kungenza umehluko omkhulu endleleni ezobukeka ngayo le sizini.
“Kungaba yimpumelelo enkulu. Ngesizini ezayo sihlose ukunqoba izicoco. Uma ubheka lapho siphuma khona, uqhathanisa nalapha sikhona manje kusobala ukuthi sikhule kakhulu njengeqembu,” kusho u-Am.
“Ngenxa yokuthi siqale nabaqeqeshi abasha futhi kunabadlali abasha abafikile, kufana nokuthi bekuyisizini yethu yokuqala sihlangene. Sisesimweni esihle manje futhi kuyasithokozisa lokho, yize besibheke ukwenza kahle kuyona yomibili imiqhudelwano.
“Lona wumdlalo wombhoxo, kwesinye isikhathi izinto ziyakuvuna, kwesinye isikhathi kungahambi kanjalo. Wonke umfutho wethu siwufake kulo mdlalo weChallenge Cup.”
ISharks ayikaze iwunqobe umqhudelwano odlalwa amaqembu aphuma emazweni ahlukene. Yazama yancama ukuthola isicoco seSuper Rugby phambilini, yize yangena kowamanqamu amahlandla amane, ngo-1996, 2001, 2007 no-2012.
Selokhu amaqembu akuleli awushiya lowo mqhudelwano angena kweyase-Europe, iSharks iyaqala ukuzithola isemdlalweni owandulela owamanqamu.
IClermont ezodlala nayo inomlando omuhle kwiChallenge Cup, kwazise seyike yayiphakamisa kathathu, ngo-1999, 2007 nango-2017. Leli rekhodi lezicoco ezintathu iliphethe neqembu lase-England, iHarlequins.
“Senze lukhulu ngokuzibeka kule ndawo. Okusemqoka wukuthi siwulungiselele ngendlela efanele umdlalo. Uma sesisemagunjini okushintshela kusuke sekusele ukuthi sizethembe. Uma sesingena enkundleni kufanele singangabazi, sikholwe ukuthi singakwenza okulindelekile kithina,” kusho u-Am.
Iqembu elizonqoba phakathi kweSharks neClermont lizobhekana nelizodlula phakathi kwekweGloucester yase-England neBenetton yase-Italy.