London – The Hollywoodbets Sharks have succeeded in their quest to become the first South African franchise to qualify for the EPCR Challenge Cup final.
The Sharks fought their way back from a 10-point halftime deficit and held on for dear life for a 32-31 victory in a tense semi-final against Clermont Auvergne at the Twickenham Stoop in London on Saturday afternoon.
The KwaZulu-Natal side will face Gloucester in the final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Friday 24 May, after the English club defeated Benetton 40-23 in the other semi-final in England.
Sharks flyhalf Siya Masuku – who earned his third Man of the Match award in as many matches – played a crucial role in the narrow victory as he took full advantage of Clermont’s ill-discipline in the first half to slot six penalty goals.
However, the Sharks let themselves down in defence, leaking three tries, while the French outfit added two penalty goals to enter the sheds with an encouraging 28-18 lead.
The French side picked up where they left off early in the second stanza, adding yet another penalty goal to stretch their lead to 31-18.
Clermont almost pushed the game out of reach for the Sharks as they strung together a fantastic try-scoring opportunity, but fortunately for the South Africans, it was denied.
Clermont were dealt a blow in the 57th minute when Argentina international Bautista Delguy was sent to the sin bin, which paved the way for the Durban-based side to fight their way back into the game.
The Sharks capitalised on their numbers’ advantage with a pick-and-drive try by Springbok prop Vincent Koch, which Masuku converted, making it a six-point game.
The Sharks also found themselves down to 14 men in the 63rd minute later Aphelele Fassi was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle.
Unfazed, the Sharks continued to show their fighting spirit and this paid off with a 70th-minute try by Springbok speedster Makazole Mapimpi.
Masuku’s penalty edged the Sharks into a 32-31 lead with time running out on the clock.
Clermont gave everything in a gripping end to the match, but the Sharks defended well and shut out the French side to snatch the one-point victory.
The victory saw the Sharks make history by becoming the first South African franchise to advance to the final of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
In the final, Sharks will meet Gloucester, who beat Treviso in the other semifinal.
Scorers:
Sharks 32 (18) – Tries: Vincent Koch, Makazole Mapimpi. Conversions: Siya Masuku (2). Penalty goals: Masuku (6).
Clermont Auvergne 31 (28) – Tries: Joris Jurand (2), Alex Newsome. Conversions: Anthony Belleau (2). Penalty goals: Belleau (4).
*Original article: Sharks to face Gloucester in Challenge Cup final | SA Rugby (springboks.rugby)
