The Vodacom Bulls laid down a marker in Pretoria on Saturday, and the DHL Stormers sneaking through in Nelspruit on Friday.
Super Rugby may have diminished in fan interest in recent years, but that hasn't stopped it churning out talent... check out the RugbyPass Super Rugby Under-23 squads.
The loss of almost 50 caps worth of Test experience may not sound that dramatic, but becomes more pronounced when you look at the Super Rugby experience that departed the Lions.