Leighton Koopman
The Sharks will continue their quest to break new ground in Europe when they face Clermont in the Challenge Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
As the only South African franchise in a knockout, they already hold the record as the first SA team to make it to the semi-finals. Now they venture into more unfamiliar territory, looking to book a finals spot.
Bongi Mbonambi of the Sharks. | BackpagePixWhile their season in the United Rugby Championship (URC) has kicked the bucket early on already, its in the Challenge Cup where the Durbanites coached by John Plumtree found their mojo.
On their way to the semis, theyve only lost one group match, against fellow South African side the Cheetahs, and will be eager to continue their dominance over the European sides.
But theyll have to do it at a new home venue as this Saturdays clash (kick-off 1.30pm) takes centre stage at Twickenham Stoop, home of English Premiership side Harlequins.
The Sharks will take confidence from their tight URC contest against the Scarlets in Wales ahead of this clash and the exposure in European conditions a week before the semi-final could be the best preparation for Plumtrees troops.
The plus side of the Llanelli clash is that they only have to travel a short distance on the M4, roughly about three-and-a- half hours, to Twickenham Stoop, instead of climbing on a possible flight from Durban to London via Doha.
The En4cer has spoken. Get your tickets now. #OurStoep ???? #ChallengeCup #SHAvASM #Twickenham #TwickenhamStoop #saffasabroad #Rugby pic.twitter.com/L21zonZI6T
The Sharks (@SharksRugby) April 28, 2024They should be fresh when they arrive in England and it should be a week of proper preparation for the Sharks as they look to claim a place in the finals.
Another positive is that Clermont havent had the best of seasons and they recently struggled to beat two fellow French sides in the Top14 competition. Last month, they drew 15-15 with Oyonnax and beat Pau 31-28. Those are two sides the Sharks easily dispatched during the Challenge Cup round robin games.
The Scarlets win also gave Plumtree a chance to get his Springbok weapons ready, and after the tough clash on Friday, they should all be up for the challenge from their French opponents.
