Riaan 
Owine iNdebe yoMhlaba yamaBhokobhoko u-Handre Pollard ukholelwa ukuthi amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika azoyisa i-Champions Cup “esezingeni elihlukile” uma kuqala lo mqhudelwano kule mpelasonto.
Iqembu lakudala likaPollard, iBulls, lijoyine iSharks neStormers okokuqala ngqa emqhudelwaneni owawubizwa ngeHeineken Cup.
AmaBulls azobhekana neLyon ePitoli ngoMgqibelo, kuthi amaSharks abhekane neHarlequins eThekwini kuthi amaStormers abhekane neClermont Auvergne yaseFrance, nawo womabili ngoMgqibelo.
FUNDA FUTHI: Amabhubesi abheke kwi-Challenge Cup: Ukunqoba ukuqala ekhaya kubalulekile
U-Pollard odle umhlanganiso weNdebe yoMhlaba, ojoyine ompetha base-England iLeicester esuka kompetha baseFrance iMontpellier ehlobo, uqinisekile ukuba namaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika e-Europe kuyisinyathelo esihle esiya phambili.
‘Zuza umncintiswano’
“Ngiqonda ngokuphelele ukuthi abanye abantu bafana nokuthi ‘Benzani lapha?” kusho lo mdlali, 28, waseWestern Cape, lapho elulama khona ekulimaleni okumhlalise ngaphandle ngesikhathi edlala iRugby Championship nakamuva e-Europe.
“Kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi, ngemva konyaka noma emibili, kuzowuzuzisa ngempela umncintiswano. Kuthathe i-URC yayibeka ezingeni elihluke ngokuphelele futhi ngikholwa ngokweqiniso ukuthi kuzoba okufanayo nangeChampions Cup.
“Amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika azoletha ubumnandi obusha emqhudelwaneni. Bebedlala ibhola lombhoxo elimnandi impela, elihlaselayo ku-URC, kanti ukubukeka komzimba kungumehluko phakathi kwamaqembu amane noma amahlanu aphezulu kuChampions Cup. Kufakwe kithi, ukuze ingxenye yomdlalo isethwe kahle.
“Amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika kuzomele ahlakaniphe ngobuchule ukuze aqhudelane namaqembu aphezulu e-Europe. Kungahle kubathathe iminyaka embalwa ukuthola izinyawo zabo, ngoba kwehluke kakhulu, kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kuzoba kuhle. Abantu bazoyithokozela.”
Umthelela wesimo sezulu
UPollard, oseke wadlala eNingizimu Afrika nase-Europe ukholwa wukuthi isimo sezulu ezingxenyeni ezahlukene zomhlaba sizoba nomthelela.
“Isimo sezulu sizodlala indima. Ukuya eNingizimu Afrika ngoJanuwari, kuzoshisa, kuswakeme, kuqine, bese kuthi ngesonto elizayo uqhamuke lapha eqhweni! Kuzojabulisa kakhulu ukubona ukuthi amaqembu angakwazi kanjani ukuzijwayeza.”
UPollard osedlale imidlalo engu-65 uthi ukubamba iqhaza emqhudelwaneni we-European Cup kuzoba yinto enhle kubadlali baseNingizimu Afrika.
“Ukuze bafike bazodlala eStade Michelin neClermont, noma baye ku-Aviva bayodlala neLeinster, kuzoba kuhle ukubona abafana bethu abancane eNingizimu Afrika bethatha leyo ngcindezi, bethuthuka ngaphansi kwayo futhi bafunde kuyona. Kuzoba ukufunda okuhle. Ngijabule kakhulu ukubona ukuthi yini abangayenza.”
