The brand-new Guinness PRO14 season kicked off in electrifying fashion, with thrills and spills in abundance across seven mouth-watering ties on the opening weekend. After enduring a lengthy off-season, each team was eager to get their domestic campaign off to the perfect start with a level playing field giving hope to each team of ultimate glory. And while there were tense battles that went down to the wire, alongside some more comfortable victories in Round One, a selection of stars stood up to be counted in their side’s first fixture. We’ve pick out those individuals who made the difference to their team’s credentials, inspiring them to a strong start to the season. SMITH STRUTS HIS STUFF AS CHEETAHS SHINE IN SOUTH AFRICA The Cheetahs laid down a marker in the competition’s curtain-raiser, and Rhyno Smith was pivotal to his side’s downing of last year’s Guinness PRO14 runners-up Glasgow Warriors. The former South Africa Sevens international marked his first appearance of the 2019-20 season with a brace of tries, and he topped the league charts for the number of defenders beaten, with eight. BRILLIANT BURNS STEERS ULSTER TO VICTORY IN BELFAST Craig Gilroy may have hit the headlines after scoring two tries on his return from injury, but Billy Burns was the mastermind behind Ulster’s impressive opening win over Ospreys. The 25-year-old dictated play alongside his half-back partner John Cooney and provided two stunning cross-field kicks to set up Gilroy for his scores. DALY DOESN’T DISAPPOINT AS MUNSTER CRUISE Last season’s semi-finalists Munster signalled their intentions for the new campaign with a comfortable win over Dragons, and with many of his more experienced teammates away on Rugby World Cup duty, Shane Daly grabbed his chance in the XV with both hands. The 22-year-old repaid Johann van Graan’s faith in him with a well-taken try shortly before the break, and he will be hoping that is the first of many in the 2019⁄20 season. MORGAN MAKES THE DIFFERENCE AS BLUES EDGE SOUTHERN KINGS THRILLER Cardiff Blues struggled to creep past a spirited Isuzu Southern Kings side, but Matthew Morgan stood up and helped swing the game in the Welsh side’s favour during an entertaining second period. The former Ospreys fullback was ever-consistent amidst a largely ill-disciplined Cardiff display, and popped up with a vital score to help his team squeeze to victory. RUTHLESS KEARNEY GRABS OPENING WEEKEND HAT-TRICK In another hotly-contested encounter, Ireland international Dave Kearney proved the difference as defending champions Leinster edged past Benetton in Italy. The 30-year-old is no stranger to the try line, and he opened his account for the season with three well-taken scores, including a fabulous kick-and-chase effort just before half-time. MACLEOD SHOWS CLASS AS SCARLETS START STRONGLY Following a disappointing 2018-19, Scarlets got the fresh season off to a strong start with victory over Connacht and Josh Macleod was at the centre of a battling display at the Parc y Scarlets. The 22-year-old demonstrated why he is being tipped as a Wales star of the future, finishing joint-top of the charts for the game’s number of tackles with 14 and offering a consistently dominating presence in the back row. BENNETT BACK TO HIS BEST AS EDINBURGH EASE PAST ZEBRE Edinburgh cruised past Italians Zebre with a comprehensive, bonus-point win at Murrayfield, and Mark Bennett stole the headlines with a stunning hat-trick performance. Following his injury nightmare, the 26-year-old was a threat throughout and with three scores joins Kearney at the top of the try-scoring charts.
