It's the same old South African story for the Sharks
The line outside the South African Food Stand inside the Stoop was already 20 deep an hour and a half before kick-off. The space in front of the two stalls on either side – selling burgers and Yorkshire pudding wraps – were empty. It was the sort of day where only a boerewors roll would do.
Under radiating sunshine a small corner of south-west London took on a very South African feel. The Sharks and their seven World Cup winners had arrived with great expectation, but also a sense of responsibility.
In the midweek build-up Eben Etzebeth, Makazole Mapimpi and Vincent Koch were among the big hitters who argued that the importance of this Challenge Cup semi-final against Clermont carried beyond the Sharks’ own base. That it would matter to everyone connected to South African rugby. Looking at the number of green Springboks jerseys mixed in the black of the Sharks among supporters, this rhetoric was more than mere marketing guff. Even Siya Kolisi and his family made an appearance to add a sense of occasion to the affair.
Of course the Sharks had more parochial objectives. For a team as star-studded as theirs, with financial muscle behind them, this campaign has been an unmitigated disaster. They began the United Rugby Championship with eight losses from their first nine league games and still languish in 13th despite a recent revival. This tournament is all they had left. Silverware, a place in next year’s Champions Cup and a whole lot of pride was on the line.
It didn’t exactly go to script. Or did it? Clermont’s poor discipline in the opening 20 minutes gave the outstanding future Bok, Siya Masuku, four shots at goal, but incisive running and accurate passing saw the rangy Joris Jurand score two tries. The Sharks’ rush defence was reminiscent of the Boks in everything but execution as holes in the line were ruthlessly exposed beyond the 13 channel.
From the restart after that second try, Clermont gave away a penalty for taking out Gerbandt Grobler in the air. Referee Luke Pearce kept his cards in his pocket which prompted an inquisition from the Sharks captain Lukhanyo Am who was told to mind his manners by the man with the whistle. It was then that blue skies gave way to grey clouds. A team with so much international experience was starting to show signs of frailty. They had the ball ripped off them and were then torn apart on defence as Alex Newcombe dotted down a third try.
Many observers have wondered throughout this season how a team stacked with double World Cup champions could play so far below their potential. Those still in the dark now had their evidence. Even with Etzebeth, they lost two consecutive line-outs to gift away possession. Even with an all-Springboks front-row they were consumed in the scrum to hand Anthony Belleau another three points. Seconds into the start of the second half, Francois Venter instinctively grabbed a loose ball in an off-side position and the score read 31-18 in Clermont’s favour.
Whenever a Springbok or one of the national coaches present over the last six years is asked to identify the reason for their success, they almost always cite abstract concepts. Before they mention their indomitable scrum, their conveyor belt of world class loose forwards or Handre Pollard’s right foot, they talk about hunger and desire. The poverty that Mapimpi overcame and the political unrest back home are woven into the Springboks’ tactics. They tell us, and themselves, that what they’re doing has meaning.
It’s easy to dismiss the role that narrative plays in elite sport. Did the Springboks win three consecutive World Cup knockout games by a single point because that fits the self-perpetuating mythology? Perhaps so. And perhaps it is narrative, and not anything to do with rugby, that explains why the Sharks for so long have been less than the sum of their parts.
With eight Currie Cups, they’re the least successful of all the South African unions in the URC. They were beaten finalists in four Super Rugby finals and have twice been eliminated in the URC quarter-finals. Every sport, every league, is littered with teams that, for all sorts of reasons, just can’t deliver. Maybe the Sharks are just one of those teams?
The game was done when Jurand had his hat-trick off the back of the umpteenth gaff from a man in black. But the try was chalked off after review and with that the Sharks finally woke up.
Now they moved the ball with fizz and purpose. Werner Kok, reduced to a static mannequin by Jurand in the first half, was blitzing upfield. So too was Etzebeth and Nche. Phephsi Butelezi was finding space in the loose and Am was gathering Masuku’s flat passes on the gallop. And when Bautista Delguy was sin-binned just before the hour mark for a deliberate knock-on, a way back was plotted with the first cobble laid down by Koch’s burrowed try.
How quickly things were turning. But the pendulum hadn’t swung far enough though momentum was with the Sharks. Even when Aphelele Fassi was shown a yellow card the incident carried a degree of good fortune. On another day his wipe-out of Jurand could have seen a penalty-try awarded. On another day Belleau might not have scuffed the chance to make it a nine-point game.
With that miss a familiar tingle could be felt down the spine. Something old and deep and visceral. These fans had been here before. Senior players had been here before. Was it fate? Was it destiny? Were those black jerseys starting to take on a greenish hue?
With ten minutes left Etzebeth plucked the ball from the heavens and set a move rolling. Then Vincent Tshituka unfurled the most magnificent off-load to unleash Am who set up Mapimpi for a try down the left. Masuku’s conversion from the touchline took his own tally to 22 and nudged his team in front.
Am to Mapimpi. A one-point lead. A scrum-half box-kicking for territory. Desperation on defence. Tired bodies smashing anything that moved. A nerve-shredding finish. Shosholoza ringing from the terraces. A famous victory. Nche’s arms in the air. Etzebeth lifting a teammate in shocked jubilation. This was a South African story. And some stories, no matter how many times you tell them, just never get old.
Comments on RugbyPass
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
2 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
6 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
2 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
6 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
6 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to commentsTruely great player. In social media and opinion pieces he was held up and flogged for the results. People wanted someone to crucify, and he was the captain. He was still an immense presence respected by his peers. His battles with Siya Kolisi belong up with with Collins vs Burger in my opinion. Unlucky to be carded in the final, but I don’t agree that his red card was the defining moment. Not when you look at the dominant performances of the Springboks (PSDT in particular.) I think Cane should be remembered for the spirit and physicality that is special to test rugby.
16 Go to commentsSam was the man until he got injured .
16 Go to comments_Crusaders versus Leinster _at the moment might be a rout! But I would like to see the Blues play Toulouse, the Hurricanes front up against Stade Francais, and the Chiefs go against Toulon.
157 Go to comments