NOT only were the Natal Sharks beaten 23-29 in a Currie Cup match against Griqualand West, but returning from Kimberley on Friday night they narrowly escaped injury when their chartered airplane burst into flame shortly after take-off. The rugby players and about 20 other passengers were returning to KwaZulu-Natal when the right engine on the plane, which took-off at about 8pm, burst into flames. The plane circled back to the Kimberley landing strip and the team caught another flight back to Durban at midnight. “It was a close game. We didn’t play too well but after the incident no-one cared, at least we didn’t lose our lives,” prop Adrian Garvey said.