EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final preview
For the second year in a row each of the four Challenge Cup semi-finalists come from a different country, but it’s a side representing a new nation in the last four that are the bookies’ favourites.
Those favourites come from South Africa as the Sharks get the weekend of EPCR action underway, with their visitors Clermont Auvergne looking to become the most successful team in the tournament’s history as they chase a fourth title.
Gloucester will be hoping to join Clermont on three titles, adding to their successes in 2006 and 2015, but face a stern challenge from a Benetton team who are appearing in a second consecutive semi-final, and are in much stronger shape than they were this time last year.
TRP Online Editor Nick Powell looks ahead to both matches.
Sharks vs Clermont Auvergne (12:30pm Saturday)
The Sharks have had a less-than-impressive domestic season, with just four wins from 15 games as a team laden with South African internationals has struggled to recover from a long post-World Cup hangover.
Initially, Sharks were on the back foot as they had to play without those stars while they were in France, but they have continued to rotate them since they have returned and it has left them in 13th in the United Rugby Championship, 16 points adrift of their nearest South African rival the Lions.
They had to battle to stay even that high in the table, edging out Scarlets 32-27 last weekend with Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Ox Nche and Eben Etzebeth all running out in Llanelli – players who have featured much more widely in their cup run so far.
All four of those players feature, with Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch joining Nche in an intimidating front row.
For Clermont it has been a similarly difficult season, with the club from the Massif Central having had to fight all season to avoid their first relegation from the French top flight in the professional era.
But a thumping 41-18 win against Top 14 leaders Stade Français last Saturday helped them take a huge step towards survival, and a large enough one that they have been able to take a strong squad to London, with the match being held at Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop.
Gloucester vs Benetton (3:00pm Saturday)
The contrast in Gloucester’s form between league and cup competitions has been like watching two different teams; languishing in ninth in the Premiership, they hope a semi-final victory against Benetton will be their 14th in as many games in the cups.
The Cherry and Whites were beaten heavily by Exeter last week, but that form away from the league, and the fact they have home advantage, makes them slight favourites for this encounter.
But Podcast guest Ruan Ackermann, who gave his comments on Benetton this week, below, knows the threat the Italian club will pose.
Ackermann lines up in the back row alongside Zach Mercer and captain Lewis Ludlow.
Ludlow’s inclusion is one of 9 changes from the side beaten last weekend with Josh Hathaway, Seb Atkinson, Ollie Thorley, Adam Hastings and Caolan Englefield all coming into the backline, and Mayco Vivas, Kirill Gotovtsev and Freddie Thomas joining their skipper up front.
Benetton return to the semi-finals hoping to do better than their disappointing 23-0 defeat to Toulon at the same stage last term, bolstered by an improved showing this season from themselves and the Italian national team.
Their recent URC form has been patchy, but they remain in the play-off places in that division as they hope to make a second quarter-final of the season, following on from their convincing 39-24 win against Connacht in the last eight of this competition.
Like the last round they start this one as the team deemed most unlikely by bookies to win the tournament, but with a back row of Seb Negri, Italy captain Michele Lamaro and Toa Halafhi, and the Azzurri’s centre partnership of Ignacio Brex and Six Nations player of the tournament Tommaso Menoncello, they will be confident they have the team to keep their dream of bagging a first European title alive.
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