Lucky Sithole
Okuvuse amehlo emdlalweni we-France ne-England bekuwumdlalo obuphakathi kwe-Ireland ne-Scotland. Besingekho isimanga enkundleni ebizwa nge-Aviva ese-Dublin njengoba i-Ireland ithole ibhonasi yamaphuzu angu-26-5 emdlalweni wayo wokugcina ohlanganise izizwe eziyisithupha kulo nyaka.
Lokhu bekusho ukuthi i-France ibinakho konke ngakho bekumele idlale ngokuzimisela enkundleni i-stade de France ese-Paris – kanti umklomelo ukunqoba umqhudelwano wezizwe eziyisithupha, into i-Les Bleus ebingakaze iyenze iminyaka engu-12.
I-France, eyaziwayo ngokuhlakanipha noma ukwamukela ukuhlulwa – iqale umdlalo ithukile. Babe namathuba amabili okuthola amaphuzu, kodwa bahlulekile. Baphinde babuya befuna ukuzama kodwa bagcine sebenza isiphithiphithi sebefikile emugqeni.
Bekungakapheli ngisho nemizuzu eyishumi umdlalo uqalile! Kodwa i-England ibingakhombisi ukuzimisela. Kuwo wonke umdlalo, u-Eddie Jones nguye obesebenza ngokuzimisela kusukela ekubeni umqeqeshi odumile ohlala eziqhakambisa njalo nje ngeqembu lesizwe lase-England. Futhi lo mdlalo ubungeke wenze lutho ukuthuthukisa isithunzi sakhe.
Uma bekukhona uhlelo lomdlalo, bekubonakala kwenziwa okufanayo nokwenziwa ama-French – okukhombisa ukwenza kangcono. Futhi uma bekuyisu labo lelo kube iphutha elikhulu. Abadlali base-England bebegijima yonke indawo bejikijela ibhola bededelana ngenjabulo ngisho namaphenalthi abelokhu elandelana.
Ukuzama kukaGaël Fickou we-France ngomzuzu ka-15 kubonakale kuyinto abangakwazanga ukuyigwema.
Ngokuqhubekayo, ukuhlasela kwama-French kuqale ukuletha imibuzo eminingi ngokuzivikela kwamaNgisi futhi ngesikhathi sekhefu amaNgisi anesibindi abesephelelwe izimpendulo. UFrançois Cros uzame inhlanhla wenza amaphuzu aba ngu-18-6.
Abaqeqeshi bangawushintsha umdlalo ngesikhathi sekhefu uma befuna. URassie Erasmus ungumpetha walokho.
Umqeqeshi wase-France uFabien Galthié akukho abefisa ukukushintsha. Uma kungabhedi ndawo asikho isidingo sokulungisa. Ayikho nento u-Eddie Jones angayenza ukuze aguqule umdlalo?
Ukuzama kukaFreddie Steward ngomzuzu ka-48 bekuwubufakazi obukhombisa ukuthi balwa namaNgisi. Amaphuzu abeseqala ukusondelana njengoba efike ku-18-13 okube ukuphela komdlalo wabo.
Ukuzama okukhaliphile kuka-Antoine Dupont sekusele imizuzu engu-20 kuvele kwathatha lonke ithemba amaNgisi abesesele nalo.
Nakuba amaNgisi abenesibindi, kodwa izinhliziyo nezingqondo zabo bezingekho kulo mdlalo.
Lo mdlalo ngeke ukhunjulwe kakhulu, kodwa uyaphela, njengoba kusho umhlaziyi wathi, “iminyaka engu-12 yokungaphumeleli kahle” kwe-France iyaphela.
Kuzoshuba kwiNdebe Yomhlaba yebhola lombhoxo. Yize emancane amathuba okuthi i-France izowina indebe ye-Webb Ellis ngonyaka ozayo – abahambisani nalokhu – kodwa bazoba iqembu elizonqotshwa.
E-France abazamile kube nguGaël Fickou, uFrançois Cros, u-Antoine Dupont. Kwaba nama-convections amabili.
E-England ozamile kube: UFreddie Steward kwaba ne-Convection eyodwa.
Amaphuzu: i-France ithole amaphuzu angu-25 kwathi i-England yathola amaphuzu angu-13.
Umthombo wesithombe: @Independent