The Sharks’ maiden Champions Cup campaign ended in a heavy quarter-final defeat against Toulouse in France on Saturday.
After leading on the Stade Mayol scoreboard for most of the first 40 minutes, the Sharks trailed 14-10 at half time before being blown away in the second period by the five-time champions who won 54-20.
Toulouse fullback Thomas Ramos scored 29 points and right wing Juan Cruz Mallia bagged a brace of tries to help the Top 14 leaders progress to the semi-finals, where they will face Leinster at the Aviva Stadium at the end of April.
Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch opened the scoring from the kicking tee, after Mallia earned 10 minutes on the naughty chair for an incidental head clash with speedster Makazole Mapimpi, inside an exhilarating first quarter.
Ramos restored parity midway through the first half, before Bosch missed his next attempt in front of the uprights to regain the lead, but an excellent break from inside his 22 set up speedy scrumhalf Grant Williams for the opening try.
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An unreal try for @SharksRugby ?
The steps from Curwin Bosch. The pace from Grant Williams. Sublime ?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/w3omuG9FJ2
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2023
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However, the hosts went into the break with a four-point lead after two more Ramos penalties and a touchdown from Mallia in the corner.
Juan ? Cruz ? Mallía ?
A superb finish from the Argentine wing in the corner and @StadeToulousain lead the Sharks 14-10 at half time ?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/I6zK2U1LKb
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2023
Ramos was on the scoreboard again with a seven-pointer minutes after the restart, but the Sharks cut the deficit to four when No 15 Boeta Chamberlain burst through a gap on a lineout strike for the visitors’ second try, and Bosch added the extras.
Even on land, these Sharks attack at speed ?
A beautiful move off the line out and Boeta Chamberlain slides into the corner ?@SharksRugby | #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/kzwEgeb0Wd
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2023
Mallia slid in next to the corner flag to complete his brace with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, and Williams thought he did too, only for his effort to be turned over on a TMO referral.
Champagne rugby from @StadeToulousain ?
They win the ball back, fling it wide and that pass at the end from @Dupont9A was fantastique ?
(Always nice to see a swan too, @ThomRamos15 ?)#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/BsegHStSZi
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2023
Bosch split the uprights with his second penalty of the match inside the final quarter, but Toulouse then coasted to victory with tries from Ramos, hooker Peato Mauvaka, flyhalf Romain Ntamack and replacement Arthur Retiere.
The Sharks will now refocus for a blockbuster clash in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Kings Park between the eighth-placed Durbanites and ninth-placed Benetton, as both teams look to secure a play-off spot with only two rounds remaining.
But, Sharks boss Neil Powell will be sweating over inside centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, who was stretchered off following a high-speed collision in an attempt to prevent Mallia’s second splash over the whitewash.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images