Coach John Plumtree praises champion effort from Sharks

The Sharks qualified for next season's Champions Cup after defeating Gloucester 36-22 in the EPCR Challenge Cup. On Sunday, they returned home proud to represent the country so successfully.

John Plumtree, speaking after Friday night's final, identified where he believes the game was won and lost.

"We wanted to put a lot of pressure on Gloucester upfront and we knew that was the strength of their game, so we knew we'd be in with a good chance if we took away their big strength," he told the Sharks website.

"I thought our scrum was outstanding, I know the front row takes a lot of credit but there was plenty of weight coming from behind. I thought our drive was really good, although I don't think we got the reward we wanted from it.

"Our pressure game around our kicking, we got reward from that and got a couple of penalties from that.

Much of the win was not only about tactical decisions or physicality, but around the psychological blows delivered regularly throughout the game. Under severe pressure, Gloucester's discipline let them down and the Sharks certainly punished them.

"The win was based around scoreboard pressure, we had to keep building it," Plumtree added.

"Eben [Etzebeth] said at half-time, we spent the first 10, 15 minutes on our line defending and then got a bit of a breakout followed by a three-pointer and doing that against any side when they're applying so much pressure and then concede three and find themselves down on the scoreboard, that hurts.

"There were some big moments in the game around that and 20 minutes into the match, we started to feel like we were getting on top and then it was just a case of putting points on the board."

Talking tactical delivery, Plumtree praised the way his charges maintained the game plan, never veering away from what the tactics they had envisaged to win the final, and the execution thereof.

"They stuck to the plan. They didn't go away from what we were trying to do which was great. Credit to the leaders."

A word of gratitude must also go out to the support base, which extends beyond Sharks supporters and wives and girlfriends, but even the other South African teams who were right behind the Durban side ahead of their history-making feat.

"We showed the team video messages from their wives and girlfriends the night before the final and that was amazing, but we also showed a video with other South African captains around the country wishing us the best of luck," continued the Kiwi.

"For me that was really great. It felt like this was a South African thing, not just a Sharks' thing. We put a lot of smiles on peoples' faces which is great."

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