Monday 4 February 2019 17:24, UK
The key performers in round one of the Six Nations combine to form our team of the week.
After victories for Wales, England and Scotland, there's a strong contingent of players from all three sides in our team of the week as well as those who were valiant in defeat.
Here's our full composite XV below, and have your say on the player that you think made the greatest contribution to the opening Six Nations weekend...
15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
Energetic performances such as these are becoming the norm for Hogg, but it wasn't just his quick hands for Blair Kinghorn's second try that stood out at Murrayfield.
Exeter will soon benefit from his devastating pace and ability to cut open defences, as he did to Italy on countless times on Saturday, and he was unfortunate not to add to his 19th try for his country.
14. George North (Wales)
In torrential conditions at the Stade de France, the opportunistic North made the most of the mounting error count to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for Wales, and the Ospreys wing showcased his anticipation and speed to take full advantage.
He overcame the earlier mistake of his own to allow Yoann Huget to stretch the hosts' lead but his two tries means he has now equalled Gareth Edwards' tally of 18 in the championship.
13. Henry Slade (England)
Slade has often fallen short of his undoubted ability in a white shirt, but he will cherish his performance in Saturday's win in Dublin for some time.
Tactically astute with his kicking, this was a supremely efficient display capped by two tries that will give Eddie Jones plenty of food for thought when Ben Te'o returns from injury.
12. Sam Johnson (Scotland)
An extremely encouraging international bow from the Glasgow centre, Johnson's was among Scotland's best performers both with and without the ball, with Italian players falling off him during powerful breaks.
Johnson had not a single turnover to his name, and his quick ball alongside the important yards he gained in midfield mean he is one to watch as the championship progresses.
11. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
Man of the match Kinghorn became the first-ever Scottish player to score a hat-trick in the Six Nations.
The 22-year-old's string of sublime finishes left Italy's defence bamboozled by his sidesteps and deft dummies. A solid defence display made this the complete performance.
10. Owen Farrell (England)
The 'hothead' was ice cool here, showing leadership and class to expose Ireland.
Farrell pinpointed Robbie Henshaw's positioning as an area of weakness with superb kicking, and it was his invention with the ball in hand for Jonny May's opener that really stood out.
9. Ben Youngs (England)
Tomos Williams overcame a shaky start in his first Six Nations appearance for Wales, while Scotland allowed Italy back into their game only after Greig Laidlaw's withdrawal, but Young's strong display against Ireland means he takes the No 9 jersey.
Youngs grew into the contest and showed composure when it mattered to put right the wrongs of previous displays in Dublin.
1. Mako Vunipola (England)
Vunipola won his battle with Tadhg Furlong hands down and was deservedly named man of the match. Vunipola produced 25 tackles of his own in a bulldozing display as Eddie Jones described him as 'top of the class'.
2. Jamie George (England)
Stuart McInally did not miss a tackle and was accurate with his line-out to provide Scotland with a solid base for their attacks, but it's hard to argue with George's inclusion.
The Saracens hooker was so effective at the breakdown and his prodigious work ethic means Jones can have no complaints after a testing Autumn.
3. Tomas Francis (Wales)
The Welsh tighthead just squeezes out Kyle Sinckler and Simone Ferrari to make the cut after withstanding a strong French pack in Paris.
The Exeter Chiefs prop put a marker down by forcing Jefferson Poirot to concede an early penalty at the scrum and strong defending further vindicated Warren Gatland's selection.
4. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
There was no drop in standards from the Wales captain, but his growing influence in the second-half spurred on his team-mates to a famous comeback victory.
Worked with Josh Navidi to provide a crucial turnover, and dealt with the difficult conditions by showing all of his experience, wracking up 13 tackles. In holding up Louis Picamoles to force the free-kick, the Ospreys lock made a vital contribution.
5. Courtney Lawes (England)
Lawes replaced George Kruis after 51 minutes in Dublin, and with England anxiously awaiting news on Maro Itoje's injury, the Northampton Saints back-row stepped up to the plate with an outstanding cameo, capped by a big turnover.
6. Sebastian Negri (Italy)
Mark Wilson impressed with an industrious display in Ireland while Josh Navidi was another strong contender for blindside flanker, but Negri was outstanding in defeat for Italy.
A significant reason why Italy were able to save face was due to the No 6's 16 tackles and 11 carries. Negri's character will be needed by Italy in their remaining matches if they are to avoid landslide defeats.
7 Justin Tipuric (Wales)
Tipuric and Adam Beard played a crucial part in stopping a rolling French maul at the end of a dominant first period for the hosts, and the openside flanker went on to showcase his all-round game to constantly provide an outlet.
The 29-year-old was everywhere and never stopped making tackles. His charge-down of a drop-goal attempt and overall game intelligence dragged Wales to victory.
8. Louis Picamoles (France)
Wales' nightmare start began with Picamoles' good finish, and he was also prominent in defence before a lack of composure from his team-mates undid all his good work.
Strong carrying and two turnovers made him France's stand-out performer, and he could be a major danger to England at Twickenham on Saturday.
