Sunday 24 February 2019 17:11, UK
We recap the weekend's Guinness PRO14 action as Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Ulster and Benetton overcame the Cheetahs, Edinburgh, Zebre and the Dragons respectively...
On Sunday, Scarlets welcomed back Leigh Halfpenny after more than 100 days out with concussion as they sealed an entertaining 43-21 bonus-point victory over Cheetahs at Parc y Scarlets.
The home side crossed for six tries through Uzair Cassiem, Johnny McNicholl, Kieron Fonotia, Josh Macleod, Wyn Jones and Paul Asquith. Conversions were added by Dan Jones and Halfpenny (four), who also landed a penalty.
Cheetahs' points came from Benhard Van Rensburg, Rabz Maxwane and Gerhard Olivier, with Tian Schoeman adding the extras each time.
Cardiff came alive in the closing stages of their Guinness PRO14 match at Edinburgh to earn a 19-17 win and move up to third in the Conference A table.
The hosts had quickly taken control of the contest with two tries out of nothing in the first quarter of an hour, both converted by Jaco Van Der Walt.
Edinburgh's position was strengthened by a Van Der Walt penalty early in the second period which extended the lead to 17-0.
However late tries from Lloyd Williams, Jason Harries and Aled Summerhill, two of which were converted by Jarrod Evans, spectacularly turned things around.
Despite a losing bonus point, Edinburgh slip from second at the start of the day to fourth in conference B.
Ulster made it back-to-back Guinness PRO14 wins with a 54-7 drubbing of Zebre, with Rob Herring scoring a hat-trick of tries in the eight-try romp.
The result, with Rob Lyttle Ulster's top scorer on 17 points from six conversions and a try, saw the Irish province move up to third in Conference B.
Ulster's second try bonus of the season came at a timely moment in the close race to make the play-offs and was secured just on half-time at Kingspan Stadium when Lyttle scored in the corner.
Ulster's other tries came from Louis Ludik, Robert Baloucoune and Peter Nelson, as well as a penalty try.
Luca Sperandio and Niccolo Cannone each scored a pair of tries as Benetton Rugby eased to a 57-7 Guinness PRO14 win over Dragons at Stadio Monigo.
The Italians ran in nine tries as they moved five points clear of Edinburgh in second place in Conference B.
Antonio Rizzi, Iliesa Ratuva, Sperandio (two) and Monty Ioane scored tries as the home side raced into a 31-0 lead to secure the bonus point with just 34 minutes gone.
Will Talbot-Davies crossed for the Welsh region a minute before half-time with Jason Tovey converting as they went into the interval trailing 31-7.
It continued to be one-way traffic after the interval with Giovanni Pettinelli, Cannone (two) and Robert Barbieri adding further tries for Benetton.
Rizzi converted three of those to take his tally for the afternoon to six and a personal points haul of 17.
