Following the Sharks’ impressive 36-22 win over Gloucester to secure the Challenge Cup title, here are five takeaways we learned from the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Top Line
The match started at a hectic pace with Gloucester desperate to give the Sharks an early lead within the opening minutes and, in fairness, they gave the Durban players a bit of a cold shoulder but were unable to convert the goals.
The Sharks were good at taking their time and finding their groove. Once South Africa had established a foothold in the scrum, the game started to get intense. The Sharks’ forward dominance, especially in set pieces, allowed Siya Masuku to knife every penalty and constantly write numbers on the scoreboard.
Gloucester tried to change things at half-time by replacing their entire front row but it ultimately proved futile as the Sharks grew more confident with every passing minute, and things were going more and more in South Africa’s favour as the English pressed further and further across the line.
The Sharks made history with their first title, becoming the first South Africans to win a European tournament, and it was a thoroughly deserved victory.
Springbok front row shows their teeth
When Ox Ntche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch were named in the squad, the outcome was clear. Three world-class players with Rugby World Cup-winning experience. What more could the Sharks ask for?
In fact, the opening game was a bit worrying for the Sharks, especially for a team that has had a tough season. A slow start in a big game like this can sometimes faze the opposition, but that wasn’t the case here.
As soon as they won a penalty at the first scrum, they started to settle into the game and, as we mentioned in the preview, scored points from set pieces. When the scrum is consistently dominating the opposition, as it was on Friday night, it not only allows a side to take advantage of penalties but also gives their bigger players confidence in the clash.
Once the pack started rumbling, the Sharks stomped Gloucester to the brink. Finally, finally, the Sharks’ superpowered Springbok heroes came to the fore and became Durban legends.
Sharks player ratings: Springbok front row thwarts Gloucester as silky Siya Masuku scores 21 points on historic night
It’s time to talk about Siya Masks.
He has been featured many times in our weekly selection feature, the Bokurometer, and will be featured again this time. Musk’s rise is the story of a sports dream, given his chance to shine early in the season and almost singlehandedly leading his team to the title.
The fly-half provided calmness and reliability with his goal-kicking, allowing those around him to calm down and make better decisions for themselves, and as a result, there is a direct correlation between his arrival and the Sharks’ resurgence.
Suddenly he was in the public eye and the next test was his mettle in the big matches, but when his flawless kicking in the semi-final was backed up by control and precision in the final there was no doubt about his ability.
Maybe it’s time for masks to be dyed green and gold.
Siya Mask show on the big stage 😤#𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐂𝐮𝐩𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐛𝐲 pic.twitter.com/ZfWdIY5O3y
— Super Sports Rugby (@SSRugby) May 24, 2024
Boxing kick class
Rugby finals are often very cautious as both teams try to avoid mistakes, and this was certainly the case in this match. In matches like this, kicking becomes even more important. In this final, the box kick battle was particularly important. Separated side.
Grant Williams is absolutely His power when kicking from the base is impressive, but the flight time of his kicks, combined with his placement either just outside the 22-yard line or close to the touchline, made him difficult to deal with, especially with Makazole Mapimpi closing in on the receiver.
In contrast, Caolan Englefield missed the target and many of his box kicks were too deep, allowing the Sharks back three to get to the mark or easily clear. They improved in the second period, but by then the Sharks were dominating the territory as well as the aerial battle.
in straight duel Williams scored the winner and played a key role in keeping the Sharks in the right area of the field.
It’s all about the points
The headline may seem an oversimplification or obvious, but that’s exactly what happens in a rugby final. Points mean everything. Gloucester are probably Victims That was the possibility early on – they started well and quickly put the Sharks under pressure, fulfilling their first requirement – but despite being in a position to take a penalty just minutes later, the Premiership side gave up the point and went for a corner.
The aim was to apply pressure and force a yellow card, which they did, but the big problem was they didn’t get any points from it. in fact, The Sharks opened the scoring with a three-point shot during the yellow card period..
Perhaps Gloucester should have chosen to score something instead. If you had asked George Skivington if he would accept a 3-0 lead after three minutes, he would have undoubtedly accepted it. The pressure on the scoreboard made the chances greater. in Doubt began to grow in the Sharks’ minds.
Instead, the Durban players did the opposite and went into the game by scoring more points than they could manage. Masuku ended up with 15 points from penalties which, when subtracted from the final score, meant they were just short of Gloucester’s final score.
Of course, it’s not that simple, but at the end of the day the Sharks went for the points and it paid off because in knockout rugby, scoreboard pressure is key.
read more: The Sharks’ Springbok stars overpower the Durban side and claim an historic Challenge Cup title with a win over Gloucester.
