VIDEO - Gloucester boss: 'Sharks sucked us into a SA-style game'

REACTION: Gloucester’s Director of Rugby George Skivington admitted that his team had no answers when it came to combatting the Sharks’ powerful pack in Friday’s Challenge Cup Final in London.

Scrum dominance proved decisive as the Sharks became the first South African side to win a major European rugby trophy by beating Gloucester 36-22 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

No.8 Phepsi Buthelezi, fullback Aphelele Fassi and wing Makazole Mapimpi all scored tries for the Sharks, with flyhalf Siya Masuku landing eight of his nine goal-kicks in a 21-point haul.

“I’m gutted,” said Skivington.

“Coming this far and to a great stadium like this and not getting the trophy is tough.

“But I am proud of the group. We started the game really well and we needed to score early, but we just didn’t get across the line.

“We finished the game really well, but in the middle the Sharks sucked us into a South African-style game with the scrum, kicking game and the physicality.

“That was the game we didn’t want to get sucked into against these lads

“We couldn’t find our way out of it.

“We are not the first team who have been dominated at scrum time by that group and it’s tough.

“Our plan to sort of negate it didn’t quite work and they got on top and deserved to win.

“We got overpowered today [Friday].”

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