The invading raiders of the south have plundered their first silverware. It never felt like it was likely to be long until a South Africa side got their mitts on one of Europe’s most precious prizes – they may not yet be Champions Cup challengers but the Sharks will take the Challenge Cup spoils back over the equator in just their second season since arriving on this stage.
A late Gloucester surge left the final margin closer than it should have been but this was a final that their opponents controlled. The Premiership side were dismantled by the brawn of a World Cup-winning front row and the boot of Sharks fly-half Siya Masuku; this may be the more minor of the continent’s two prizes yet it mattered little to the smiling South Africans as captain Eben Etzebeth hoisted the trophy aloft at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
