Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi said Eben Etzebeth and the Springbok contingent had a lot to do with their late-season resurgence, which sees the Durban-based franchise as the only South African team to reach a European rugby final.
READ | Slow-starting Stormers eventually slay the Dragons to keep playoff hopes alive
The Sharks will face Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 24 May, marking a stunning turnaround from where they simply couldn't buy a win in the United Rugby Challenge.