Emotional scenes as potential Springbok gets the plaudits he deserves

The Hollywoodbets Sharks season has followed a script straight out of a scriptwriter’s notepad.

Entering the season, the Durban-based franchise was heavily tipped to make a run at both the BKT United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup titles.

Jam-packed with Springbok superstars, John Pumtree’s side struggled early as they awaited the return of their World Cup heroes. Unfortunately for the men in black, their fortunes did not immediately turn around when their stars returned as they continued to languish as cellar dwellers in the league.

Whilst their league form was abysmal, their cup form has been stellar, with just a single loss in the pool stages and a place in the upcoming final now secured.

As with any great comeback tale, the story needed a protagonist to turn around the darkest of situations.

For the Sharks, this would be flyhalf Siya Masuku, who has taken both the URC and Challenge Cup by storm since taking over the reins in February.

The 27-year-old, who was previously an unknown commodity outside of die-hard South African fans, has been so good that he claimed four ‘Player Of The Match’ awards in a row!

Makazole Mapimpi finishes off Sharks wonder try to book Challenge Cup final spot

Landing eight from eight shots at goal, including the match-winning conversion for the Sharks in their Challenge Cup semi-final win over Clermont, Masuku proved once again his big-game temperament.

Clearly, the flyhalf’s rise has not gone unnoticed by his teammates, who, in addition to speaking glowingly about the playmaker, have followed his lead on the pitch.

In has been one of the stories of the season in South Africa Rugby; Masuku’s rise has been so meteoric that he is now being tipped as a future Springbok ten.

Just how much better the playmaker can be remains to be seen, but in the here and now, the Siya Masuku story is exhilarating and will be on the grandest of stages in North London on May 24th.

This has a nice ring to it 🎶👌#OurStoep🇿🇦 #ChallengeCup #SHAvASM #Twickenham #TwickenhamStoop #saffasabroad #Rugby pic.twitter.com/iq7LriBaDi

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) May 8, 2024