There was plenty of Guinness PRO14 involvement as the 2019 Six Nations opened in typically dramatic fashion over the weekend. The biggest shock occurred in Dublin on Saturday night as England triumphed for the first time in six years at Aviva Stadium, despite scores from Leinster’s Cian Healy and Ulster’s John Cooney. England crossed the try-line after just 95 seconds, ending a drought in the Irish capital that stretched back to 2011. The Irish briefly took the lead after prop Healy heaved his way through from close range, capping a spell of home dominance following Tom Curry’s bookable offence on Munster’s top try-scorer this season, Keith Earls. Elliot Daly then touched down for England and despite Owen Farrell’s missed penalty after Johnny Sexton was penalised for hands in the ruck, Henry Slade scored twice to seal the result and render Cooney’s late score a consolation. At Murrayfield, Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn became the first Scot to score a Guinness Six Nations hat-trick but Italy’s host of Guinness PRO14 stars fought back to avoid a heavy
