Sharks prop Ox Nche has urged his teammates to make history and become the first South African side to win the EPCR Challenge Cup this Friday.
The Durban-based team will go up against Gloucester in the final of the Challenge Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and a victory could help them seal their place in next season’s Champions Cup.
That wouldn’t be a bad way to end the season after a difficult campaign in the United Rugby Championship, where they’ve failed to reach the play-offs.
Speaking to the media, Nche said they were looking forward to the chance of writing their names in the history books.
“It is a serious game. It is something we have never done as a union and it’s going to be a big challenge for us,” said the Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok. “But we could be the first team to win a European title, so for us it would be an amazing reward if we did it.
“The Gloucester scrum is going to be a big challenge, but it is one we are looking forward to. They are not playing in a final because they got lucky; you can see the amount of hard work they put in.”
For director of rugby Neil Powell, Friday’s final in London will be the perfect launch pad for the team, who will be looking to show improvement in the United Rugby Championship next season.
Powell urged his team to take their chances to put some shine on their horrible season.
“As a coaching team and a squad, there has been a lot of hard work put in over the last eight to nine months since the start of the United Rugby Championship and it is important to get that reward, a tap on the back and the confidence to start next season on a better note,” said Powell.
“At times we have played some good rugby, but at times we have fallen off the pace and not played an 80-minute game. We need to put together 80 minutes of consistent rugby and we have to be a lot more clinical, especially in a game like a final.
“The guys know that they have to go out there and make it happen. There is no team that will just roll over and give you success.”
IOL Sport