Koch can’t wait for Friday’s final against Gloucester

Springbok front row Vincent Koch believes it will be a “surreal moment” when South Africa’s Sharks face Gloucester in Friday’s European Challenge Cup final in London.

Both the Sharks and English Premiership strugglers Gloucester will be looking to put poor domestic seasons behind them at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Sharks, despite a squad featuring several Springbok World Cup winners in Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am, Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche and Koch, are languishing in 13th place in the 16-team United Rugby Championship with one round of the regular season remaining.

But victory for either the Sharks or Gloucester in the second-tier European final would guarantee the winners a place in next season’s elite Champions Cup, replacing the eighth-ranked team in their league.

“If we do win this, then, I won’t say the season then looks better, but it definitely looks a little bit better, you know,”? said Koch.

“Playing in Europe is amazing. I’ve been there with Saracens, but there for a South African club, it’s a surreal moment.”

Koch, asked to pinpoint the gap between the Sharks’ URC and Challenge Cup form, refused to blame the effects of long-distance flights in what are primarily two Europe-based competitions.

“The Springboks joining a bit later, we didn’t really know what the culture was until we joined, then we knew exactly what coach (John) Plumtree wanted us to do and how he wants us to play.”

IOL SPORT