1) England’s imitation of Sexton a sincere form of flattery
One of the most striking elements of England’s seven-try victory in Rome was the wraparound tactic that set the visitors on the way to their 46-15 success. It has been Johnny Sexton’s signature move for years and George Ford and Owen Farrell have now taken a leaf out of the Irish playbook. Both England’s opening two tries by Anthony Watson involved Ford looping round and helping to create a midfield mismatch with Jonny May also coming at pace off his wing to confuse the defending side still further. Ford may find teams will now be lying in wait for him in future but it was good to see an English midfield seeking to find different ways of unlocking opposition defences. His next challenge? Winning tight games with dramatic long-range drop-goals. Robert Kitson
2) Italy need a pack to complement impressive young backs
It is hard to fault Italy’s ambition but there was an inevitability to
England’s late flurry of tries and indeed, the match followed a familiar
script as soon as Sam Simmonds went over for his first. Italy, in
truth, were never going to win the match and for all Conor O’Shea’s
positivity, it is hard to see them doing so at any stage in the
competition. They have not won since 2015, but it must be said that they
have unearthed some impressive young backs. If they can do something
similar with the pack – and the fact that Alessandro Zanni has been
recalled suggests it’s still a problem – then perhaps they will end their losing streak. Gerard Meagher
3) Scarlets and Wales both prosper from improved relations
After Wales selected 10 Scarlets to face Scotland, a commonly asked question was whether they would adopt the region’s free style. The assumption was that there was a marked split in the approaches of the two teams, but of greater relevance is the co-operation now between the national team and the four sides that feed it. The cold war between the WRU and the regions ended more than two years ago when there was a belated change of regime. Wales are no longer a rival to the quartet but a partner and the benefit has been two-way with the Scarlets league champions and European Cup quarter-finalists. Wales are growing stronger together. Paul Rees
4) Scotland’s scarring may take time to heal
Scotland weren’t left with a single talking point so much as they were an entire radio phone-in’s worth. The chief ones being exactly how much that 27-point thrashing is going to set them back, and whether they’ll be able to repair the damage before they play France at Murrayfield. Beyond that, head coach Gregor Townsend must be seriously worried by the way his side have folded in their last two big Six Nations games, both away from home, to England last year and Wales this. His side are going to be carrying an awful lot of psychological baggage with them whenever they travel, so Scotland’s next away game, in Dublin on 10 March, is shaping up to be crucial fixture for the development of this nascent side. Andy Bull
Team of the weekend
15 Leigh Halfpenny, Wales
14 Anthony Watson, England
13 Scott Williams, Wales
12 Owen Farrell, England
11 Mattia Bellini, Italy
10 Johnny Sexton, Ireland
9 Conor Murray, Ireland
1 Rob Evans, Wales
2 Guilhem Guirado, France
3 Dan Cole, England
4 James Ryan, Ireland
5 Alun Wyn, Jones Wales
6 Aaron Shingler, Wales
7 Sebastian Negri, Italy
8 Sam Simmonds, England
Quote of the weekend
"I don’t think they were poor, we were just better" – The Wales centre Scott Williams does not expect his side to receive scant praise after the emphatic victory against Scotland.
Best player: Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
Rhys Patchell conducted Wales skilfully but does not yet have the playbook of the Ireland fly-half whose late, long drop goal plundered victory in Paris. World class is as world class does.
Try of the weekend: Teddy Thomas (for France v Ireland)
One of the few moments to savour in Paris saw France counterattack as they used to, seeking space rather than contact for their right wing to step inside and outrun the cover defence.
5) Ireland find a way … and what a way it was
Johnny Sexton, bloody hell. Ireland, although in control, were not playing well, but the old adage about finding the way to win when that happens is as poignant as any in sport. What a way Ireland found, with Sexton so in charge it was magnificent to behold, even though the weather was wet, the opposition organised and the man himself suffering from cramp. As an exercise in mind over matter, it was worthy of champions. Whether Ireland prove of that calibre remains to be seen, but this was almost more persuasive than a free-scoring romp to victory would have been. Michael Aylwin
6) HIA mess needs to be sorted out
French probity is under suspicion again, but this time they appear innocent. If the failure of the authorities to prosecute the abuse of the HIA system by France last season remains a scandal, here the French medics on the field can be heard confirming their players were suffering from leg injuries. It’s the off-field match doctor who insisted on an HIA. Firstly, that doctor was French, which is one thing that needs addressing – doctors should be from a nation other than those competing. Secondly, we need two – one on the pitch, one off-stage reviewing footage, both wired up to each other and the officials. MA
7) France and England heading for showdown
As expected, all roads are already leading to a showdown between France and England in the penultimate round of the competition. Ireland have their problems and they are clearly rebuilding but a failure to even score a point away in France demonstrates that this is highly unlikely to be their year. England, meanwhile romped to a 42-7 victory in Italy and while it is not easy to gauge the shape they are in just yet, it is a promising start. Wales meanwhile, exacted revenge with a one-point win over Scotland, having lost by the same margin last year. At the very least it is positive to see some competitive matches before England head to France. GM
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