Etzebeth leads Bok-stacked Sharks team for Challenge Cup final

Sharks boss John Plumtree has picked eight Springboks in his starting team and a further two on the bench for Friday night’s Challenge Cup final against Gloucester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, with kick-off at 9pm.

The Sharks are looking to become South Africa’s first winner of a major European cup rugby trophy, while Gloucester are chasing a third Challenge Cup title.

The World Cup winning Boks in the Sharks team are Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, Grant Williams, and Makazole Mapimpi, with the other Boks being Francois Venter, Aphelele Fassi, Ntuthuko Mchunu and Curwin Bosch.

Lock Etzebeth had been handed the captaincy of the side in the absence of the injured Lukhanyo Am.

‘Give it our all’

Siya Masuku, who has been a revelation for the Sharks since being handed the No 10 jersey earlier in the season, will again be the key man at the back.

Besides Am, other key players not available for the final because of injury include Jaden Hendrikse, Coenie Oosthuizen and Boeta Chamberlain.

“The mood in the camp is pretty good, everyone is focused,” said Nche, who will be playing his 50th international competition game for the Sharks. “It’s a big game for us all, everyone is in tune and excited; we just want to give it our all.”

TEAMS

Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Ethan Hooker, Francois Venter, Makazole Mapimpi, Siya Masuku, Grant Williams, Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka, James Venter, Gerbrandt Grobler, Eben Etzebeth (capt), Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Bench: Fez Mbatha, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Hanro Jacobs, Jeandre Labuschagne, Dylan Richardson, Cameron Wright, Curwin Bosch, Eduan Keyter

Gloucester: Santiago Carreras, Jonny May, Chris Harris, Seb Atkinson, Ollie Thorley, Adam Hastings, Caolan Englefield, Zach Mercer, Lewis Ludlow (capt), Ruan Ackermann, Arthur Clark, Freddie Clarke, Fraser Balmain, Seb Blake, Jamal Ford-Robinson. Bench: Santiago Socino, Mayco Vivas, Kirill Gotovtsev, Albert Tuisue, Jack Clement, Stephen Varney, Max Llewellyn, Josh Hathaway