Former Hollywoodbets Sharks wing Odwa Ndungane has tagged Gloucester as favourites ahead of the EPCR Challenge final with the Durbanites but says the experience will carry the South Africans to the title.
The Sharks and Gloucester meet in the climax of the Challenge Cup at England’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday at 21:00, SA time.
A lot is riding on the match for both sides who have campaigns to forget in their regular seasons.
The Sharks struggled to find the right form in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC).
The John Plumtree-coached side is rooted in the bottom half of the URC log table while Gloucester finished second last in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby.
The Challenge Cup final presents a chance for one of the two sides to salvage their season and qualify for the prestigious Champions Cup ahead of the next campaign.
With Gloucester playing the final in their home country, Ndungane believes that put them in an advantageous position compared to the Sharks.
The former Springbok wing and Hollywoodbets Brand Ambassador, Ndungane, believes the two teams will deliver a spectacle of a final in north London.
READ: Hollywoodbets Sharks looking to make history in EPCR Challenge Cup final
“(Sharks and Gloucester) are two teams who deserve to be in the final,” said Ndungane.
“In my opinion, Gloucester are the favourites because they don’t have to travel much and the fact that they have played in a few of the finals, won two of them.
“But I think what the Sharks have in their favour is the momentum they have going into this game.
“The likes of Siya Masuku, the way they’ve performed, I think he has been the catalyst in turning the team around.
“His performances have been very good, his Man of the Match performances and just how he controls the game. His goal-kicking has been the difference,” he said.
The Sharks boast a few Springbok stars; some have won at least two Rugby World Cup titles and they know how to handle high-pressure games.
Though they will be without skipper and back-to-back World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am, they still have powerful stars such as Bongi Mbomambi, Ox Nche, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Makazole Mapimpi and others.
“I think the experience that the Sharks have, the players have won World Cups, played in big pressure games, and this is one of those big pressure games, it will be a very tightly contested game,” said Ndungane.
“I see the Sharks winning this one by possibly six points.”
While Gloucester won the Challenge Cup in 2006 and 2015, this will be the first time a South African side features in the tournament’s final.
Tomorrow’s winner 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 knock out the 8th placed team in their league 🍿
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 23, 2024
Either @GloucesterRugby or @SharksRugby will qualify for the #InvestecChampionsCup, as the #ChallengeCupRugby champions automatically gain a spot with the win 🏆 pic.twitter.com/FzDJc0LsVj
