By Matt Hardy
Before the start of the current rugby season both Gloucester and the Sharks, from Durban, would have been full of hope for their domestic campaigns.
But soon into their Premiership and United Rugby Championship campaigns, things began to unravel and any hopes of winning a league title disappeared over a cliff.
It left the two sides lingering towards the bottom of their respective leagues, looking for an alternative way to keep fans happy and build some momentum.
The little sister
The little sibling to the Investec Champions Cup, the Challenge Cup has been treated by some as a throwaway competition, while others see it as their path to silverware.
And after dire domestic seasons, that’s where the Sharks and Gloucester find themselves ahead of tomorrow’s final in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
There’s a sense of desperation for success in the air around N17, and that’s not just from the Premier League team based there.
Although trophies generally come few and far between for clubs like Gloucester and the Sharks, there’s more riding on the match than just silverware. Also on the line is qualification for the Champions Cup.
The Champions Cup equals prestige and financial gain, and that is something every club is looking for in abundance, but especially those less accustomed to the top of the table.
And winning the Challenge Cup tomorrow is the only way Gloucester and the Sharks can now qualify for the top flight international club competition.
Gloucester pressure
“I’m not feeling any pressure like that on the result of this game,” Gloucester head coach George Skivington said.
“I’m feeling the pressure that we made a decision earlier in the year to go after the two cups, and I think that’s ultimately a pressure you want as a DOR [director of rugby].
“You want to be going to finals and see if the plans are in place and if you’ve managed to do what you set out to do.
“I keep myself pretty focused on what I’m doing so what gets said and what doesn’t get said isn’t really a concern of mine, because I just stay focused on the job. That’s not something I’m even thinking about.”
Springbok legend and Sharks stalwart Eben Etzebeth said: “We can’t look past Gloucester. The moment you look past a team, that’s when you get your ass handed to you.
“Thinking about being the first South African team [to win] can cause you to shoot yourself in the foot. It is a long journey to get there.”
From the hope at the start of the season to the desperation at the end of it, everything this season comes down to 80 minutes for both Gloucester and the Sharks. It should produce one almighty battle.
