Gloucester (England) and Sharks (South Africa) have earned the right to compete for glory in the final of the 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24th May following another gruelling campaign on the Continent.
Irish interest in the competition’s climactic fixture has waned a little after disappointing losses for both Connacht and Ulster in the quarter-finals, though we can at least be assured of a good game in the final.
For Gloucester, their fifth appearance in the European Challenge Cup final offers a shot at landing the trophy for the third time, while first-time finalists Sharks have a chance to make trailblazing history as the first South African club to win the tournament.
Who are the teams?
Two-time winners Gloucester will compete in the European Challenge Cup final for the first time since their narrow, heart-breaking 31-30 loss to Cardiff in the 2018 edition of the competition, and a light contingent with Irish links has aided the Cherry and Whites’ push for glory.
George McGuigan, who represented Ireland at Under-18 and Under-20 levels in the early part of his career, had been a regular at hooker for the English outfit. However, a hamstring injury suffered in March ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign and the 31-year-old will be a spectator in London.
24-year-old Gloucester scrum half and recently capped England international, Caolan Englefield, was an Ireland U18 and U19 squad member between 2017 and 2020, and should start on 24th May.
Durban-based Sharks, meanwhile, will be flying the South African flag in the final for the first time, with their Irish links quite sparse.
Gloucester
Gloucester have already got their hands on silverware this season thanks to their 23-13 triumph over Leicester in the Premiership Rugby Cup final in March, and their ability to rise to the big occasion makes them a dangerous underdog ahead of the 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup climax.
Lodged all the way down in ninth spot in the 10-club Gallagher Premiership this season, Gloucester have been putting all of their eggs in a continental basket, and ahead of their penultimate fixture of the domestic season against Northampton, boss George Skivington made his priorities known:
“We are still going to try and win them (Premiership games), but ultimately I will use the Premiership to make sure we are best prepared for the final, and give some young players opportunities.”
Gloucester suffered their biggest-ever defeat when they subsequently lost 90-0 to Northampton with a severely weakened side, though Skivington is unlikely to change tack in the final Premiership test against Newcastle on 18th May.
Gloucester’s journey from the West Country to the London final began in the competition’s Pool Stage back in December when they were drawn in Pool 3 alongside Clermont, Edinburgh, Castres, Black Lion and Scarlets.
Four wins in four in that section allowed Gloucester to advance to the knockout phase as second seeds, where another encounter with Castres was navigated in the Round of 16 (30-25). The laser-like accuracy of Santiago Carreras’s kicking was instrumental in that victory at the Kingsholm Stadium.
In the quarter-finals, Carreras was again the chief protagonist, kicking six successful penalties worth 18 points in a 23-13 win for Gloucester against Welsh side Ospreys, while a similarly convincing display allowed the English club to bulldoze their way past Italy’s Benetton in the semi-final.
Tries from Josh Hathaway, Seb Blake, Adam Hastings, Freddie Clarke and Ollie Thorley helped Gloucester to a 40-23 win over a well-beaten Benetton unit, who apart from a couple of half-scares, only ever flirted with the idea of denying their opponents a berth in the final.
Sharks
The waters weren’t quite as calm for Sharks along their route to the European Challenge Cup Final. Their semi-final head-to-head with Clermont was a battle of wafer-thin margins and a skirmish of inches at Twickenham Stoop on 4th May.
The South African club had to reach deep into their well of resolve to secure a thrilling 32-31 comeback win over three-time winners Clermont to book their passage to the competition’s final, and as ‘Shosholoza’ drowned out ‘La Marseillaise’ in the stands, Sharks eventually showed more bite on the pitch.
With the contest on a knife-edge throughout, fly-half Siya Masuku’s perfect kicking earned 22 points for Sharks, though it was the exhilarating late try from winger Makazole Mapimpi that brought the house down and set the South Africans up for their late success.
Like Gloucester, Sharks breezed through the Pool Stage, scoring 141 points on their way to topping Pool 1. Italy’s Zebre Parma offered poor opposition in the Round of 16 in a 47-3 Sharks win, though breathing room was harder to find in their win over Edinburgh in the quarter-finals in Durban.
In a clash that ebbed and flowed, another 18 points from the prolific Siya Masuka and tries from Lukhanyo Am, James Venter and Bongi Mbonambi eventually allowed Sharks to assume command, and despite a late rally, Edinburgh couldn’t muster the right response.
Could Skivington face the axe if Gloucester lose?
There is a potentially interesting subplot to consider ahead of the European Challenge Cup final surrounding the future of Gloucester head coach George Skivington.
While Skivington is under contract with the club until the summer of 2025, the team’s performances under his instruction have been wildly inconsistent, with miserable league form offset by glorious runs to two cup finals.
Gloucester have won only four times in 17 attempts in the Gallagher Premiership this term, and more questions were raised about Skivington’s long-term suitability for the job after last weekend’s 90-0 defeat to Northampton.
Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire after that mauling, Gloucester chief executive Alex Brown gave Skivington said:
“We’ve got a busy two weeks – we’ve got to get this European final right. We’re going to have a review but, going into next season, George is under contract and I’m not going to talk about suggestions on anything [to do] with his employment.”
How we expect the match to play out
Sharks have been installed as odds-on favourites to win this month’s final, and with the chance to become the competition’s first-ever South African winner adding extra inspiration, they could prove difficult to stop.
While the final is being staged on English soil, there won’t be much in the way of home advantage for Gloucester to harness, with Sharks already showing their mettle in London with their semi-final triumph over Clermont.
The accuracy of the kickers in both camps in a high-pressure environment could be a key factor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Siya Masuku’s kicking for Sharks has been supremely confident in the tournament, while Gloucester are sweating on the availability of Santiago Carreras.
Adam Hastings was a more than useful understudy in the semi-finals, though Carreras’s class will be missed if he fails to recover in time from appendicitis surgery.
Sharks’ slow start against Clermont in the semis would have also made for interesting viewing from a Gloucester perspective. The South Africans began sluggishly and went in 13 points down at the interval on that occasion. Gloucester, who overpowered the same Clermont side in the Pools, might view that as a possible weakness to exploit.
How to place a bet on the European Challenge Cup final with TonyBet
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