Saturday PRO14 Standout Players
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Saturday PRO14 Standout Players
Connacht 26-27 Glasgow Warriors
Stuart Hogg -
The Scotland fullback stood out as the best player on the pitch with his long-range restarts causing Connacht plenty of problems.
Hogg was central to the Glasgow comeback in the second half beating defenders at every opportunity and while his 40m drop-goal on 72 minutes ultimately won the game for the visitors.
He made 39 metres in attack, beat four defenders, made one clean break and also chipped in with a try assist.
Jack Carty -
Carty brought his usual 'A' kicking game which kept the scoreboard ticking and allowed Connacht to secure a foothold in the game.
The out-half also demonstrated that he has improved his distribution game by firing confident passes which split the Glasgow defence on more than one occasion.
Carty's cross kick for Cian Kelleher's try early in the first half was a real touch of class.
Jonny Gray -
Gray marshalled the Glasgow lineout which functioned like a well-oiled machine. The big second row also managed to secure two turnover penalties at the breakdown and carried powerfully when given the opportunity
Famous for his tackling statistics, Gray completed a game high of 18 and always offered himself as a willing ball carrier.
Ulster 15-13 Scarlets
John Cooney -
Cooney was immense from the kicking tee and earned all 15 points for Ulster. The scrum-half managed the game well with a good kicking game and gave his backline quick ball throughout the game.
Stuart McCloskey -
McCloskey brought the form that earned him Irish caps in the past to Kingspan this afternoon and enjoyed bulldozing his way through the Scarlets midfield.
It took two or three Scarlets defenders to get McCloskey to deck and this created space for Ulster out wide.
Will Addison -
Despite having to come off with 25 minutes remaining, Addison showed he is an exciting signing with an offloading game that can hurt teams.
The former Sale Sharks man showed his versatility by playing on the wing as he played at outside-centre in last years Premiership.
It should be noted that Will Addison is Irish qualified and it will be interesting to see if he can muster his way into Joe Schmidt's side as we approach the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
Munster 38-0 Cheetahs
JJ Hanrahan -
Hanrahan took full advantage of his opportunity in the 10 shirt at Thomond Park scoring 13 points including a try and managed his backline effectively.
He switched to full-back when Carbery came on for his Munster debut and showed signs of a playmaking connection with the new arrival.
Darren Sweetnam -
Deserved the man of the award for his devastating attacking play and caused the Cheetahs defence problems at every opportunity.
Sweetnam made an incredible amount of metres, including 6 defenders beaten, 3 clean breaks and also got his name on the scoresheet.
Dragons 17 v 21 Benetton
Rhodri Williams
Williams put in a big shift on debut for the Welsh region, he showed off his sharp passing, calm decision making and brought the unsettled Dragons side some composure in the heat of battle
Aaron Wainwright
The impressive back-rower only signed his first senior contract in March and is already starting to show why the club tied him down so early. The 20-year-old made 40 metres in attack from 6 hard carries and completed 8 tackles.
