The Toyota Cheetahs completed a double over the Isuzu Southern Kings in the only Guinness PRO14 game this weekend as, in the northern hemisphere, a certain international competition got underway.

An inspired performance from Joseph Dweba helped the hosts to a 45-0 whitewash in Bloemfontein, as they stretched the gap to seven points over the fourth-placed Glasgow Warriors in Conference A.

And the emphatic win has left head coach Hawies Fourie rubbing his hands ahead of the Cheetahs’ upcoming European tour.

Back in the north there were a series of standout displays from an array of familiar faces on the opening day of the Guinness Six Nations.

Chief among them was Josh Adams, whose hat-trick in Wales’ 42-0 win over Italy at Principality Stadium has led Wayne Pivac to label theCardiff Blues man as one of the world’s best.

AndOspreys man Alun Wyn Jones believes that their bonus-point triumph is only the beginning for the men in red as they look to defend their Grand Slam title.

Later in the afternoon across the Irish Sea, a Johnny Sexton-led Ireland ground out a hard-fought 19-12 win over Scotland.

And it was to be a connection forged in the blue ofLeinster that led to a Sexton score, the only try of the game in Dublin.

But there were certainly signs of green shoots for Scotland, who asked questions of Ireland throughout, and inWarriors fly-half Adam Hastings have more than an able deputy for the absent Finn Russell.