Sharks hold off Edinburgh to set up date with Clermont in Challenge ...

The Sharks and Clermont Auvergne advanced to the 2023/24 Challenge Cup semi-finals courtesy of victories over Edinburgh and Ulster in their respective quarter-finals.

In Durban, the Sharks continued with their excellent recent form when they sealed a 33-16 triumph against the Scottish side.

Despite holding a narrow 17-13 lead at half-time, Edinburgh were ultimately undone by a highly motivated Sharks outfit.

The home side’s superior firepower was underlined through well-taken tries from captain and centre Lukhanyo Am, flanker James Venter and hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

Fly-half Siya Masuku converted all three five-pointers and added four penalties to finish with an 18-point contribution, while Curwin Bosch slotted a late penalty as the Sharks booked a semi-final date with Clermont.

Prop Pierre Schoeman, flanker Hamish Watson and hooker Dave Cherry – in the game’s final play – scored Edinburgh’s tries, while fly-half Ben Healy kicked three penalties and three conversions.

Healy kicked two early penalties for Edinburgh, but the Sharks hit back through an outstanding 17th-minute try when wing Makazole Mapimpi shredded the visiting defence before sending his fellow South African World Cup winner Am over to score.

Masuku added the conversion, and Edinburgh were undone again 10 minutes later by another high-class Sharks score.

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Mapimpi and full-back Aphelele Fassi were the architects, getting in behind Edinburgh’s defence, then possession worked its way to lock Eben Etzebeth and he found an unmarked Venter for the try.

Masuku converted, but Etzebeth was then yellow-carded by referee Matthew Carley for a lineout infringement and Edinburgh capitalised on their temporary one-player advantage when Schoeman crashed over from close range and Healy added the extras.

It was an impressive end to the first half by Edinburgh, and Healy completed his penalty hat-trick to secure a 16-14 interval advantage.

Two Masuku penalties shortly after the break put the Sharks back in front, and a dominant third quarter was underlined when Mbonambi broke clear from the back of a maul for a try that Masuku converted, and there was no way back for Edinburgh.

Ulster saw their hopes of reaching the Challenge Cup semi-finals crushed by Clermont as the French heavyweights ran in seven tries en route to a 53-14 victory at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Loose forward Nick Timoney crossed the whitewash twice for Ulster, with both scores converted by scrum-half John Cooney, but the visitors had no answer to Clermont’s pace and all-court game.

Number eight Pita-Gus Sowakula scored two tries, as did flanker Peceli Yato, while Alex Newsome, Rob Simmons and Joris Jurand also breached the Ulster defence as Clermont romped home through 33 unanswered second-half points.

Fly-half Anthony Belleau kicked four conversions and two penalties, with Bautista Delguy and Sebastien Bezy each landing a conversion.

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