South African teams were in top form on debut in European competition, and five SA-born players were awarded with places in the best XV of the opening round of the 2022-23 Champions Cup.

The Vodacom Bulls and Sharks kicked off their respective Champions Cup campaigns on a winning note on Saturday, the former withstanding a strong fightback from French side Lyon to record a 42-36 victory at Loftus Versfeld, while the latter showed real grit to defeat Harlequins by 39-31 in Durban.

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Bulls pair Nizaam Carr and Bernard van der Linde, along with Sharks duo Makazole Mapimpi and Carlu Sadie, join Quins star Andre Esterhuizen in a standout lineup that includes four Frenchmen.

Van der Linde, Mapimpi and Esterhuizen all scored a brace of tries last week, while Carr barged over to secure the bonus point for the Bulls, as Sadie formed part of a powerful Sharks front row that stood up to the likes of Quins’ England prop Joe Marler.

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