Hollywoodbets Sharks coach John Plumtree was delighted with the character his side showed in downing Clermont Auvergne 32-31 at The Stoop on Saturday to reach the final of this season’s Challenge Cup.
Three-time champions La Yellow Army led 31-18 lead at a stage after capitalising on some poor defence and lineout work, but the Durbanites fought back valiantly to ultimately secure a famous semi-final win.
“We looked a little bit nervous in the first 25 minutes/half an hour of the game,” said Plumtree. “We never really got the opportunity to build any pressure with the ball, the French team kept on setting penalties. We were making mistakes in our own twenty-two around our kick-receive, so we were gifting them a lot of stuff.
“We just felt we gifted Clermont too many easy opportunities. We just allowed them to build pressure throughout our areas. We didn’t really get an opportunity to play much with the ball, they conceded early penalties.”
The Sharks trailed 18-28 at the break, and it looked a long way back when Anthony Belleau kicked a three-pointer in the 41st minute to extend the Clermont lead. If not for the Top 14 side’s ill-discipline and the unerring boot of Siya Masuku (who kicked eight from eight on the day), it may well have been game over at that stage.
“The halftime thing was really [around getting] our game going and stop making errors to allow them easy access into our twenty-two.
“They showed a lot of character. We spoke at halftime; we were only 10 points down. We just went out there and started playing our game. We had good messages from the leaders. And we felt like if we get our game going, putting them under pressure, and with just a little bit of luck, we could pinch the game.
“In fairness, it was a case of us just never giving up. This is where I want us to go with this team: we might lose a game, but it’s not okay to give up. And I think we showed that today.”
On the performance of Masuku, Plum believes there’s plenty more to come from the former Southern Kings and Cheetahs playmaker.
“Siya’s a lovely story, isn’t he? He’s played well on the big stage now. He’s a very humble character and feels very honoured to be playing in the jersey. He’s making the most of his opportunity.
“He’s still going to get better. His skillsets will improve, his passing will improve, he’ll improve as an athlete. He isn’t anywhere near his ceiling yet. I love his attitude around the game, and the players love him. He’s riding the crest of the wave at the moment.”
The Sharks next face Benetton and Cardiff in the URC over the next fortnight before the Grand Final against Gloucester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May.
