Carlu Sadie. Photo: AFP
The South African teams endured inauspicious Champions Cup campaigns, but there will nevertheless be a strong 'Saffa' influence in Bilbao in Saturday's final between Bordeaux and Leinster, notably on the side of the French team.
And South African rugby fans currently on the fence might well switch to the team from the leading wine-growing area in France, given that three South Africans are like to feature in their matchday 23.
The former Sharks and Springbok flank Jean-Luc du Preez has been starting for Bordeaux, as has massive tighthead prop Carlu Sadie, while another former Lion, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, has been playing off the bench. There is another South African in the greater Bordeaux squad, the young hooker Christian Everitt, who is the son of Edinburgh and former Sharks coach Sean Everitt.
There are more South Africans in the coaching staff. The line-out coach is Sean Sowerby, who played No 8 for the Sharks in the early 2000s before finishing his career in France. He never returned to South Africa and is a well-regarded coach.
