The five best performers from the opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa

The opening round of Super Rugby Aotearoa marked the return of professional rugby following a three-month hiatus, and the two matches in New Zealand didn't disappoint.

A boisterous crowd at Forsyth Barr Stadium cheered the Highlanders on to a dramatic 28-27 victory over the Chiefs thanks to a 79th-minute drop goal from Bryn Gatland against his dad Warren's side.

Beauden Barrett, meanwhile, made his debut for the Blues as the Auckland franchise outclassed his former franchise, the Hurricanes, in a 30-20 win in front of a sold-out Eden Park.

While Gatland and Barrett stood out as two of the key talking points both before and after their respective fixtures, there were plenty of other individuals who shone as rugby made a welcomed and highly-anticipated comeback in New Zealand.

Of those individuals, here are five of the best who churned out some of the best performances over the weekend.

Caleb Clarke (Blues)

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until next year proved to be a blessing for the Blues, who benefitted hugely from acquiring the services of Caleb Clarke following his return from the All Blacks Sevens squad.

Fielding the No. 11 jersey, the sizeable 21-year-old made an almost immediate impact in his first outing for the club this year, finishing off a scintillating Rieko Ioane break by busting two tackle attempts following a defensive mistake by Vince Aso.