“It was international rugby versus club rugby,” said one person at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the South African Hollywoodbets Sharks beat Gloucester Rugby 36-22 in the EPCR Challenge Cup.
That’s not entirely true, both sides had their international representatives, but the point is a good one.
The addition of the Sharks into the European Challenge Cup has meant the introduction of what is effectively a trifecta of Springboks, fringe Springboks and players desperate to one day play for their country.
South African addition
They bring a common cause, both mentally and culturally, which was seen in the celebrations after their win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; and they bring a feeling of purpose to a competition that has otherwise looked like an afterthought.
Have fans ever seen a team take this competition so seriously in the past? Maybe. But the attrition, physicality and sheer relentlessness of the Sharks on Friday night did anything but a disservice to a country that has won the last two World Cups.
Gloucester were on top in the opening stages but the first points came in the form of the Sharks boot 14 minutes in. And after Gloucester scrum-half Caolan Englefield’s 22nd-minute penalty, the Cherry and Whites were restrained from the scoreboard until the 57th minute, at which point it was 29-3.
The Sharks played knockout rugby, and have earned a spot in the Investec European Champions Cup as a result.
And their reward for being in the top competition as bottom qualifier will likely be away trips to the French top 14 and English Premiership champions. But they’ll back themselves.
Class of their own
They were in a class of their own, and made an unbeaten European Challenge Cup side in Gloucester look average.
They didn’t need the intensity Toulouse or Leinster were forced to exert the following day, nor did they need the majority of the crowd behind them – of which they did not have.
But, and this isn’t the case for every rugby team, they had each other; and that’s something that is ingrained into South African rugby. It is a stalwart of what makes them go that extra mile for one another. There’s always a bigger picture.
So while the inclusion of South African sides in European rugby has caused some controversy, and there remains legitimate talking points over travel and sustainability, a lease of life has come from their involvement. That should be celebrated.