The Sharks sounded a clear warning to the Bulls ahead of their final United Rugby Championship (URC) league match in Durban next Saturday.
The Durban side surged to a maiden European title when they outplayed Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final on Friday, underlining the rich potential in their group.
The Bulls will travel to Durban in the hope of securing the top spot in the league — or at least solidifying their place in second — but the Sharks served notice in their 36-22 victory over Gloucester that they should not be judged on their lowly URC form.
While the Sharks defended well when it mattered, and showed composure in attack, it was the toil of their forwards that broke Gloucester’s back.
The Sharks scrummed with authority, which helped earn tighthead Vincent Koch the man of the match award.
“We wanted to apply a lot of pressure upfront because we knew it would probably be their strength, so by taking that away, we knew we would have a good chance,” explained Sharks coach John Plumtree.
“I thought the scrum was outstanding, and the front row’s drive was very good, and they earned the rewards for it. So was the pressure from our kicking game. A lot of it was based around scoreboard pressure, which we had to keep building on, and credit to the guys for sticking to the plan.”
The much-decorated Eben Etzebeth hailed the Sharks’ success as his greatest club achievement.
The double Rugby World Cup-winner spearheaded their effort as they became the first South African team to capture a European title. They also broke their losing spell in cross-continental finals having lost four in Super Rugby. “At club level this is by far the best memory. The last championship I won was the Currie Cup in 2012, so it’s been 12 years,” Etzebeth said.
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