Sharks players Eben Etzebeth and Grant Williams celebrate after defeating Clermont in the Challenge Cup semi final. Picture: by Henry Browne/Getty Images.
Sharks coach John Plumtree praised his side for their character in the second half of their 32-31 win over Clermont in their Challenge Cup semi-final on Saturday.
The side from Durban pulled off a magnificent victory against Clermont at the Twickenham Stoop in London to book their place in the final.
Victory for the Sharks looked a bit far when they were down 31-18 with 20 minutes remaining on the clock.
They were also a man down as Aphelele Fassi was sent to the sin bin.
However, the team showed great tenacity, getting two converted tries through Vincent Koch and Makazole Mapimpi in the latter stages of the match, including a final conversion from the touchline by Siya Masuku to secure the 32-31 win.
When the Sharks trailed 28-18 at halftime, the talks in the dressing room seemed to push them to go all out in the second stanza. Plumtree shared the details of what was said in the changing room at the interval.
“The half-time talk was ‘we need to go out there and stop making errors, and allowing them into our 22m’. That’s what happened (in the second half), we moved the ball around a little bit more,” Plumtree said afterwards.
“Once we started moving the ball and putting them under pressure, defensively our confidence grew.
“They showed a lot of character, we spoke about it at half-time. I just felt we were only 10 points down, and I said boys let’s go out there and start playing our game, and there were good messages from the leaders.
“It was a case of us not giving up. This is where I want to go with this team.”
The Sharks have made history by becoming the first South African franchise to play in the Challenge Cup final. They will take on English side Gloucester in the final on May 24 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Plumtree said reaching the final is something that would have made South Africans proud.
“I’m sure most people in South Africa are happy with the result,” said the veteran coach.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
