There is no doubt as to which country impressed the most in the third round of the Six Nations, as France put Scotland to the sword at Murrayfield.
There were plenty of outstanding individual performances from Les Bleus as they underlined their Grand Slam credentials and ensured that Scotland’s wait for a Six Nations title would go on for another year at least.
Ireland and England will be mostly happy having come away from their games with wins, although both sides will know that they can and will have to play better in the future.
Meanwhile, Wales can take plenty of positives from their second-half display at Twickenham, while Italy showed plenty of grit and determination in the face of overwhelming odds in Dublin.
Stand out performances from the weekend.
France captain and World Rugby player of the year Antoine Dupont was back to his best and showcased his talents brilliantly with his early break that led to his side’s first try.
Damien Penaud reminded the world why he is one of the most dangerous finishers in the world while Cyril Baille was again superb in the scrum and in open play for Les Bleus.
It was a day to forget for Scotland at Murrayfield although youngster Rory Darge was excellent on his first start for his country and was rewarded for his efforts with his first international try.
Despite losing, there was no shortage of Welsh players who did themselves proud, with veterans Alex Cuthbert and Taulupe Faletau the best of the bunch.
Both men made their international debuts over a decade ago but proved that they are still well able of performing on the biggest of stages in a valiant effort.
Marcus Smith again showed that he is the long-term answer for England at fly-half while Maro Itoje put in another trademark clever performance, although not everything he did was strictly legal.
Ireland’s game against Italy was turned into a farce after the Azzurri were reduced t0 13 men due to a red card and an unusual rule, although Michael Lowry took full advantage of the compromised Italian defence.
Italy captain Michele Lamaro was once again tireless in his efforts, although he has just about missed out on the team of the week this time around.
Sitting in the Monday morning meeting like…#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/zSRBxHrTPj
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 28, 2022
Check out the Six Nations team of the week from round three.
15. Michael Lowry (Ireland)
14. Damien Penaud (France)
13. Gael Fickou (France)
12. Jonathan Danty (France)
11. Alex Cuthbert (Wales)
10. Marcus Smith (England)
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
8. Alex Dombrandt (England)
7. Rory Darge (Scotland)
6. Taulupe Faletau (Wales)
5. Maro Itoje (England)
4. Will Rowlands (Wales)
3. Kyle Sinckler (England)
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
1. Cyril Baille (France)