Young 10s Fin Smith and Sam Prendegast both excelled, while other veterans stepped up for their nations. (Getty Images)
The Six Nations Championship is in its second week, and the top players are already emerging ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in June.
As Ireland and Scotland — who will likely provide the majority of the tourists given the form of their respective teams over the past 12 months — met in Edinburgh, this week shaped as a crucial match week for individuals looking to press their case.
Lions coach Andy Farrell will have had his pencil poised over some names in his notebook, ready to draw lines through some and underline others as definite candidates to tour.
But as England's stunning, surprise victory over France at Twickenham proved, nothing is a fait accompli.
Here are the winners and losers from week two of the Six Nations as the hunt for a Lions touring spot intensified.
Winners: Ireland's youth and veterans alike
Might be worth sizing up some of this lot for some Lions kit. (Getty Images: David Rogers)
Ireland beating Scotland — it has now won 11 in a row against its Celtic cousins — is pretty much par for the course.
What was most pleasing for Ireland though was just how good the team was across the pitch.
At 35 years young, Peter O'Mahony had a fantastic return to the starting line-up despite only getting through just over 50 minutes. While at the other end of the spectrum, 21-year-old player of the match Sam Prendergast was brilliant — kicking and passing with accuracy, intent and guile.
Ireland's New Zealand veterans Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and to a lesser extent Bundee Aki were all top-notch. While Hugo Keenan is nailed on for the fullback spot.
None of this will be news to the Lions coach, of course, who knows this Irish team better than anyone.
Two-time Lions tourist Robbie Henshaw was also excellent for Ireland. (Getty Images: Sportsfile/David Fitzgerald)
Losers: Scotland's scrum
Let's be honest — this Scotland team were outright bullied by Ireland at Murrayfield.
Sure, losing Darcy Graham and Finn Russell after their horrible collision in the first half didn't exactly help Scotland, but the players' backs were already well and truly against the wall when they went off, led by Ireland's phenomenal pack.
Dave Cherry's distinctive dome was a regular sight in the loose for Scotland, but his lineout throwing was poor and both starting props Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson had their pants pulled down by Ireland's front row.
Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher and Finlay Bealham all did their jobs at scrum time and were devilish in the loose too, winning crucial penalties to help dull the enthusiasm of a raucous Murrayfield crowd.
The outrageous dummy from replacement Pierre Schoeman late on almost gets him a nod of approval, but really the pack were on the back foot throughout and were made to look very ordinary by an excellent swarming Ireland group led by Wicklow's finest, Josh van der Flier.
Must do better: Duhan van der Merwe
Duhan van der Merwe scored a brilliant try, but was also sin binned at Murrayfield. (Getty Images: David Rogers)
By hook or by crook, the Lions are blessed by having two of the most powerful wings in the world in their ranks in South African-born and raised Scot Duhan van der Merwe, and former Māori All Black-turned Leinster lad James Lowe.
This Murrayfield clash represented a superb opportunity to see who should start in the number 11 shirt for the Lions, and the contrast could not be clearer.
Lowe is simply awesome, the casual ease at which he dismisses the attentions of defenders is alarming, the power barely contained in his 188cm frame, unrelenting.
Van der Merwe, though, despite being an absolute beast of a human at 106kg and 193cm, has the extraordinary ability to completely disappear in matches.
Granted, his try at the end of the first half was a genuine wonder, one of the best finishes that you'll see all year, but he is capable of more and, frankly, will have to do more if he wants to start in Australia.
Winner: Tom Curry and the England pack
Tom Curry had another excellent game. (Getty Images: PA Images/Andrew Matthews)
Let's not mince our words — England was mighty lucky to have encountered a French team less capable of holding onto a ball than a Bass Strait seal in its dramatic victory.
However, let's not take away from some brilliant performances from England's players in this crunchiest of Le Crunches for an England team that had won just six of its past 14 Tests, with just one of those wins coming against a top-ranked side.
Tom Curry was really good last week in the defeat against Ireland, but he took it up another notch against France.
Once again throwing himself about like a man taking someone else's body for a joy ride, Curry was superb with the ball and without, shutting down France's attacks and legally stealing the ball at the breakdown.
To make matters worse for the French, he was replaced by identical twin Ben Curry, who proceeded to do the exact same thing.
As ever, Ben Earl was superb on the other side of the scrum, while Tom Willis earned some praise from his coach after leading the tackle count.
Maro Itoje got his first win as England skipper and was instrumental in getting England over the line by sheer force of will, while props Ellis Genge and Will Stuart once again scrummaged well against a fearsome French pack.
Most impressive though, perhaps, was replacement hooker Jamie George, who came on and made some clutch throws into the lineout.
Ups and Downs: Smith swap
Fin Smith had a man of the match performance. (Getty Images: Shaun Botterill)
Northampton fly half Fin Smith is not a stranger to international rugby — this was his eighth Test cap after all.
But the fresh-faced 22-year-old had never before started in England's white and, in his own words, said his first-half performance was a bit like a "rabbit in the headlights".
But with a couple more displays like the one he produced at Twickenham against France, he could yet exchange that white England jersey for a red Lions one.
After a tentative start, Smith soon developed some assurance in his game and steered England around the park precisely and confidently to be named player of the match.
A delicate chip off the boot set up one try, a beautifully timed pass the winner, and some clutch kicking off the tee ensured England claimed a dramatic victory.
That assured display ended up being bad news for Marcus Smith — loitering out the back with the 15 on his jersey, whose performance had as many ups and downs as any England fan's heart rate during those frantic final 10 minutes at Twickenham.
Marcus Smith and Fin Smith are vying for the same spot. (Getty Images: RFU/Dan Mullan)
Everyone who sees Smith play knows what he brings, but while there were typical flashes of brilliance with the ball in hand, there was plenty of off-script slap-dash theatrics as well — what Australian rugby fans will recognise as the Quade Cooper paradox.
As brilliant and entertaining as he can be, the Harlequins fly half is rapidly turning into a luxury item that may have to be left as excess baggage on the long flight to Australia.
There are caveats for sure, no matter how many times Steve Borthwick says it, Smith is just not a fullback.
His weakness in defence is almost always exposed at 10, let alone when he's out of his natural position, even if he can use the ball so magically when he has more space available to him.
That, plus Smith's poor misses with the boot, means the Harlequins man is in danger of being squeezed out for both England and the Lions.
Losers: Wales
Wales have lost 14 games in a row and have slipped to 12th in the world rankings. (Getty Images: NurPhoto/Giuseppe Maffia)
There's not much more that can be said.
A 14th-straight defeat, the first defeat in Rome for 18 years and falling to a worst-ever world ranking of 12th.
Last time the Lions played a Test in Australia 10 of the starting 15 were Welsh.
Now it seems that the only way 10 Wales players are going to even make the touring party is via a case of mistaken identity.
So bad is this team that we're starting to have to question whether Warren Gatland is a sleeper agent sent from rival nations to sabotage Wales from within.
Picking a centre, Ben Thomas at fly half appeared to be pretty daft but then replacing centre Nick Tompkins, who left the field early through injury, with a wing in Josh Hathaway was an even worse example of self-sabotage.
So that raises the question as to whether any of these Wales players would do better in a competent team.
Jac Morgan once again never backed down from a challenge and worked himself into the ground in the back row, as did the returning Taulupe Faletau, while Tomos Williams wasn't terrible at scrum half in conditions that were.
The rest of them though. Sheesh.
If a Lions team were picked today…
What the players are all hoping to wear Down Under. (Getty Images: David Rogers)
- Andrew Porter (IRE)
- Rónan Kelleher (IRE)
- Finlay Bealham (IRE)
- Maro Itoje (ENG) (c)
- Tadhg Beirne (IRE)
- Tom Curry (ENG)
- Ben Earl (ENG)
- Caelan Doris (IRE)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (IRE)
- Sam Prendergast (IRE)
- James Lowe (IRE)
- Bundee Aki (IRE)
- Robbie Henshaw (IRE)
- Tommy Freeman (ENG)
- Hugo Keenan (IRE)
Replacements: Jamie George (ENG), Ellis Genge (ENG), Will Stuart (ENG), Josh van der Flier (IRE), Tom Willis (ENG), Alex Mitchell (ENG), Fin Smith (ENG), Ollie Lawrence (ENG).
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