Sharks claim first European title

05/24/2024 03:59 PM

The Sharks made history by becoming the first South African team to win a European final with a comfortable victory over Gloucester to claim the EPCR Challenge Cup in London on Friday.

Tries from Phepsi Buthelezi, Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi, to go with a near-perfect kicking performance from Siya Masuku, powered the Sharks to a 36-22 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

@SharksRugby are #ChallengeCup champions! #GLOvSHApic.twitter.com/onuva9lfzA

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) May 24, 2024

The win gives the John Plumtree’s side their first-ever piece of major silverware in an international competition, while also seeing the Durban side become the first South African team to win an EPCR title.

Taking a 16-3 lead into half time, the Sharks had far too much firepower for Gloucester to handle, chewing the Cherry and Whites at the scrum and building on that momentum to add a further two tries and all but seal the win by the 60-minute mark.

The Sharks did have to negotiate a tricky opening 10 minutes, where they conceded five penalties and lost Aphelele Fassi to a yellow card for repeated infringements.

However, they did excellently to absorb all of Gloucester’s pressure, coming away without conceding a point, with Eben Etzebeth making a try-saving intervention, before Masuku got the Sharks on the board with his first penalty.

While Gloucester responded with a 59-metre penalty from scrumhalf Caolan Englefield, No 8 Phepsi Buthelezi produced a moment of magic to score the opening try, with a powerful run and sensational dummy.

WHAT A TRY!!! Phepsi Buthelezi’s with a brilliant dummy!!@SharksRugby have a 16-3 lead at the break of the Challenge Cup final!
pic.twitter.com/j2Ki4P89BN

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) May 24, 2024

Masuku converted and added another two penalties to give the Sharks a 13-point lead at the break.

Under pressure from Ox Nche and man of the match Vincent Koch, Gloucester hauled off their front row at half time and it seemed to pay off when they won a penalty from the first scrum of the second half.

However, the Sharks roared back into the ascendency, as Masuku converted two more penalties, taking his haul to 21 points, before putting Fassi over the tryline and setting up Mapimpi with a pinpoint crossfield kick to all but seal the result, despite Gloucester finishing with a two-try flurry.

Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images

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