Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Edinburgh and Ulster out of Challenge Cup following quarter-final defeats

By PA
General views during the EPCR Challenge Cup, Quarter Final match between Cell C Sharks and Edinburgh at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on April 13, 2024 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Edinburgh exited the EPCR Challenge Cup after suffering a 36-30 quarter-final defeat against the Sharks in Durban.

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite leading narrowly at half-time, Edinburgh were ultimately undone by a Sharks team that put poor United Rugby Championship form to one side.

Prop Pierre Schoeman, flanker Hamish Watson and hooker Dave Cherry – in the game’s final play – scored Edinburgh’s tries, while fly-half Ben Healy kicked three penalties and three conversions.

Video Spacer

Jake Whites previews the Bulls’ face-off with Northampton Saints

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 4:04
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 4:04
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Jake Whites previews the Bulls’ face-off with Northampton Saints

    But Sharks’ superior firepower was underlined through touchdowns from centre Lukhanyo Am, flanker James Venter and hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

    Fly-half Siya Masuku converted all three tries and kicked four penalties for an 18-point haul, while Curwin Bosch booted a late penalty as Sharks moved into a semi-final against Clermont Auvergne following their 53-14 victory over Ulster.

    Fixture
    Challenge Cup
    Sharks
    36 - 30
    Full-time
    Edinburgh
    All Stats and Data

    Healy kicked two early penalties for Edinburgh, but the Sharks hit back through an outstanding 17th-minute try when wing Makazole Mapimpi shredded the visiting defence before sending his fellow South African World Cup winner Am over to score.

    Masuku added the conversion, and Edinburgh were undone again 10 minutes later by another high-class Sharks score.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Mapimpi and full-back Aphelele Fassi were the architects, getting in behind Edinburgh’s defence, then possession worked its way to lock Eben Etzebeth and he found an unmarked Venter for the try.

    Masuku converted, but Etzebeth was then yellow-carded by referee Matthew Carley for a lineout infringement and Edinburgh capitalised on their temporary one-player advantage when Schoeman crashed over from close range and Healy added the extras.

    It was an impressive end to the first half by Edinburgh, and Healy completed his penalty hat-trick to secure a 16-14 interval advantage.

    Two Masuku penalties shortly after the break put the Sharks back in front, and a dominant third quarter was underlined when Mbonambi broke clear from the back of a maul for a try that Masuku converted, and there was no way back for Edinburgh.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Ulster saw their hopes of reaching the semi-finals crushed by Clermont at Stade Marcel-Michelin as the French heavyweights ran in seven tries.

    Back-row forward Nick Timoney touched down twice for Ulster, with both scores converted by scrum-half John Cooney, but the visitors had no answer to Clermont’s pace and all-court game.

    Fixture
    Challenge Cup
    Clermont
    53 - 14
    Full-time
    Ulster
    All Stats and Data

    Number-eight Pita-Gus Sowakula scored two tries, as did flanker Peceli Yato, while Alex Newsome, Rob Simmons and Joris Jurand also breached the Ulster defence as Clermont romped home through 33 unanswered second-half points.

    Fly-half Anthony Belleau kicked four conversions and two penalties, with Bautista Delguy and Sebastien Bezy each landing a conversion.

    Related

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

    Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

    New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

    Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

    The Rise of Kenya | The Report

    New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

    The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    J
    JW 1 hour ago
    Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

    It is now 22 years since Michael Lewis published his groundbreaking treatise on winning against the odds

    I’ve never bothered looking at it, though I have seen a move with Clint as a scout/producer. I’ve always just figured it was basic stuff for the age of statistics, is that right?

    Following the Moneyball credo, the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available

    This is actually a great example of what I’m thinking of. This concept has abosolutely nothing to do with Moneyball, it is simple being able to realise how skillsets tie together and which ones are really revelant.


    It sounds to me now like “moneyball” was just a necessity, it was like scienctest needing to come up with some random experiment to make all the other world scholars believe that Earth was round. The American sporting scene is very unique, I can totally imagine one of it’s problems is rich old owners not wanting to move with the times and understand how the game has changed. Some sort of mesiah was needed to convert the faithful.


    While I’m at this point in the article I have to say, now the NRL is a sport were one would stand up and pay attention to the moneyball phenom. Like baseball, it’s a sport of hundreds of identical repetitions, and very easy to data point out.

    the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available and look to get ahead of an unfair game in the areas it has always been strong: predictive intelligence and rugby ‘smarts’

    Actually while I’m still here, Opta Expected Points analysis is the one new tool I have found interesting in the age of data. Seen how the random plays out as either likely, or unlikely, in the data’s (and algorithms) has actually married very closely to how I saw a lot of contests pan out.


    Engaging return article Nick. I wonder, how much of money ball is about strategy as apposed to picks, those young fella’s got ahead originally because they were picking players that played their way right? Often all you here about is in regards to players, quick phase ruck ball, one out or straight up, would be were I’d imagine the best gains are going to be for a data driven leap using an AI model of how to structure your phases. Then moving to tactically for each opposition.

    113 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Bath Rugby turnover breaks £20m but losses increase Bath Rugby turnover breaks £20m but losses increase
    Search