The Stormers got the ball rolling on Friday night with a 29-15 win over Connacht in Galway, before the Lions, Sharks and Bulls followed suit with victories on Saturday.

The Lions produced a memorable start to their campaign by holding off Leinster 27-26 in a see-sawing contest that kept the Ellis Park crowd on the edge of their seats.

The Johannesburg side were forced to absorb plenty of pressure, with defending champions Leinster enjoying significant possession and territory. However, the Lions showed tremendous character when the game entered its decisive stages.

Leinster scrumhalf Fintan Gunne was a constant threat and completed a first-half hat-trick, while Erich Cronjé crossed twice for the Lions. The visitors led 19-17 at half-time, leaving the hosts with plenty of work to do after the break.

The turning point arrived late in the second half.

Flyhalf Chris Smith, who contributed 12 points from the kicking tee, produced a superb cross-field kick towards Kelly Mpeku. The wing gathered cleanly before racing over in the corner to put the Lions back in front.

Smith calmly added the conversion from out wide to stretch the advantage to 27-20.

Leinster refused to go quietly and scored after the final hooter to secure a losing bonus point, but the Lions had done enough to claim their first victory over the Dublin giants in five meetings.

It was the kind of result that could provide Ivan van Rooyen's charges with a huge confidence boost, particularly after they were forced to spend long periods defending their line.

If the Lions had to scrap for their victory, the Sharks were considerably more convincing as they opened their campaign with a 41-24 bonus-point win over the Ospreys.

The Durban side scored five tries to four, with Luan Giliomee emerging as one of the stars of the afternoon after crossing twice. Young talent was prominent throughout, while flyhalf Vusi Moyo enjoyed a flawless outing with the boot, contributing 14 points.

The Sharks led 28-14 at half-time after a fast and physical opening 40 minutes. Their forwards laid a strong platform, allowing the backs to attack with greater freedom as the home side repeatedly found holes in the Welsh defence.

The Ospreys showed plenty of fight and crossed four times, but the Sharks always appeared capable of finding another gear. Litelihle Bester's try secured the bonus point and ensured the Durban franchise got the kind of start coach JP Pietersen would have wanted.

Meanwhile, in Italy, the Bulls completed the South African clean sweep with the most comprehensive victory of the weekend, crushing Zebre 47-13 in Parma.

It was not entirely straightforward in the opening exchanges, with the hosts making the brighter start and the Bulls initially guilty of a few handling errors. Once the Pretoria side settled into their rhythm, however, the contest began to swing heavily in their favour.

A penalty try opened the Bulls' account before Reinhardt Ludwig crashed over. Scrumhalf Paul de Wet then intercepted a pass and raced approximately 40 metres to score, while Curwin Bosch's reliable goal-kicking helped the Bulls establish a commanding 21-6 half-time lead.

The second half quickly turned into a procession.

Ruan Vermaak scored almost immediately after the restart, Harold Vorster added another and Ludwig completed his brace late in the contest. Replacement wing Zac Burger crossed after the hooter to put the finishing touches to a seven-try demolition.

The Sharks managed to win their first-ever URC first round match at home - X

For South African rugby, it was an enormously encouraging opening weekend.

The Lions showed grit and composure against the defending champions, the Sharks combined physicality with attacking flair, while the Bulls demonstrated why their forward pack remains one of the most imposing units in the competition.

With the Stormers having already secured their victory in Ireland on Friday, all four South African franchises began the new URC season with wins.

It is the perfect start for South Africa's four representatives and sets the scene for what promises to be another fascinating URC campaign.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport