The Sharks are out of the rugby’s European Champions Cup after French side Bordeaux beat them 66-12 in their last Pool 1 game in Bordeaux.

The Durban side finished 5th in the pool after the loss, which gives the team a place in the knockout stages of the 2nd tier Challenge Cup.

The Sharks showed real intent at the start. The team only needed a bonus point to qualify for the playoffs and they scored 2 tries after just 7 minutes.

But the home side responded almost immediately and 10 minutes later, they scored 2 tries of their own to level the score.

The rest of the half was scrappy from both sides but Bordeaux scored with the last move of the forty to take a 19-12 lead into the break. And they extended it shortly after the start of the 2nd half.

A point difference of less than 28 points in the game could still save the Sharks in the Champions Cup, but Bordeaux completely dominated the 2nd half and the Durban side failed to add to the 12 points they scored early in the game.