Sharks look to make history in Tottenham
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Springbok and Sharks prop Ox Nché and Sharks teammates motivated to leave their mark in history as the first South African team to lift an EPCR trophy.
Nche admitted Gloucester Rugby will present a tough challenge when they EPCR clash in the Challenge Cup Final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday night.
The sharks will be boosted by the prescence of two other Springbok international forwards in hooker Bongi Mbonambi and second rower Eben Etzebeth, the Hollywoodbets Sharks prop insists the Durban outfit can bully their way to historic silverware.
“It is a serious game. It is something we have never done as a union and it’s going to be a big challenge for us,” said Nché. “But we could be the first team to win a European title, so for us it would be an amazing reward if we did it.
“The Gloucester scrum is going to be a big challenge, but it is one we are looking forward to. They are not playing in a final because they got lucky; you can see the amount of hard work they put in.”
This clash will present an oppurtunity for redemption for both clubs. especially after a dismal domestic league season for both, with Gloucester Rugby finishing second to bottom in the Gallagher Premiership and The Sharks sitting 13th out of 16 in the United Rugby Championship with a game to go.
A brighter future
However, Neil Powell, the Durban club’s director of rugby, believes his side’s run to this final points to a brighter future after a season which started with upheaval in the coaching team.
“As a coaching team and a squad, there has been a lot of hard work put in over the last eight to nine months since the start of the United Rugby Championship and it is important to get that reward, a tap on the back and the confidence to start next season on a better note,” he said.
“At times we have played some good rugby, but at times we have fallen off the pace and not played an 80-minute game. We need to put together 80 minutes of consistent rugby and we have to be a lot more clinical, especially in a game like a final.
“The guys know that they have to go out there and make it happen. There is no team that will just roll over and give you success.
“But it would be good to make a bit of history by becoming the first South African team to win a European trophy and that is a big motivation for us is internally.
“It is about where we want to go not just on Friday night, but in the next two years or so. To win we have to be very disciplined, make a massive effort to stick to what we have discussed and how we want to play that Gloucester team.”
