The beautiful brutality for rugby was on show during the Carling Currie Cup final at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday.
Neither the Fidelity ADT Lions or Hollywoodbets Sharks XV gave an inch as each and every man defended as though his life depended on it.
There were moments of brilliance on attack but as a score of 16-14 shows, it was all about putting your body on the line and working your ass off for your team.
This is the biggest club trophy in the world after all, this is not Super Rugby Pacifica ...
Normally if a game is 0-0 at half-time it's been a dull affair, this was not.
It was breathless stuff as both sides gave their all on attack and defence in unseasonally cold, wet and windy conditions in Joburg.
Every moment was stressful, every pass vital, every kick hugely important as both sides dug deep trying to make that all-important breakthrough.
Both sides shunned opportunities to take shots at goal in that frantic first 40 as they looked to increase the pressure with attacking line-outs.
Neither team could find that moment of magic and that was due to the bar of soap they were playing with and the defiant defence they faced whenever they took the ball up.
The Sharks dominated the first half and would have headed into the warm changerooms feeling they should have been ahead but the Lions defence was having none of it.
The home side had their moments going forward as well with Sanele Nohamba shining brightest on a gloomy day.
But they also couldn't take their chances, even with the Sharks down to 14 men for 10 minutes after Eduan Keyter's yellow card for taking Tapiwa Mafura out in the air.
With the scores level the biggest loss for the visitors was big lock Emile van Heerden who, bravely (stupidly), tried to stop Ruan Venter when he was in full go mode.
He managed to walk off the field under his own steam (which was heartening to see) but watching him hand his gum guard to the medic and then try take it out his mouth again a minute later meant he was in no shape to pass his HIA.
For the Lions it was all about the scrum, it was the one area they were totally dominant.
The Lions started the second period like the Sharks did the first and the men in red and white were camped in the attacking half.
Like the Sharks though, they didn't make it count and the men in black (finally) took a shot at goal in the 50th minute which Siya Masuku missed to the right, same as his snap drop goal in the first 40.
But the first points of the final came two minutes later when some slick handling from the Sharks created space for left wing Ethan Hooker who dotted down in the corner.
A great piece of play in the conditions.
Masuku nailed the conversion to make it 7-0 to the men from Durban.
Going behind sparked the Lions into action as they started to attack with more intent as Nico Steyn took a quick tap and dived over the line and Nohamaba added the extras to level the scores and it was game on after 58 minutes.
The players seemed to have found their feet (and hands) as the final quarter began with the Sharks' Andre Esterhuizen showing his class and power.
It was the Vincent Tshituka led side that scored next as Masuku nailed a penalty to put his side ahead after 65 minutes just after the Lions had launched their version of the Bomb Squad.
One of those replacements, prop Juan Schoeman, was soon back on the sidelines though as he was adjudged to have made 'head on neck' contact on Jordan Hendrikse who stepped up to slot the penalty to give his side a six-point lead with 11 minutes to go.
With only seven in the scrum though the Lions won another scrum penalty and headed for the touchline looking for a try.
And a try is what they got as Siba Qoma crashed over with Nohamba adding the extra two to put them ahead for the first time in the game with less than five minutes left on the clock.
Ball security, a tough task all day in the conditions, was now vital for both sides as the Sharks chased the game and the Lions looked to hang on, something they failed to do, their game management letting them down with no leaders on the field for the biggest moment of the game.
With the clock in the red they tried to maul when all they had to do was get the ball off the field and they turned the ball over and then gave away a 59 metre penalty.
In the end it came down to one kick, one moment of massive pressure as former Lion Hendrikse took a shot at goal after 82 minutes and nailed it, making all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile for the Sharks, the 2024 Carling Currie Cup champions, while there was nothing but heartbreak for the Lions players and fans.
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