Another round of Six Nations action sees France sauntering towards a Grand Slam after dominating Scotland 36-17 at Edinburgh, with only Wales and England standing between them and a perfect campaign.
The competition could be close, however, after Eddie Jones ' men held off a valiant Welsh comeback effort to emerge as 23-19 winners at Twickenham on Saturday.
Ireland later let loose in a 57-6 hammering of Italy on Sunday, although that scoreline was skewed by an early red card that saw the Azzurri play most of the game with only 13 players (before finishing with 12).
As is ever the case in Mirror Sport 's Six Nations Team of the Round, however, considerations apply in regards to the quality of opposition, meaning only two Irishmen make the cut despite their historic win.
15. Full-back - Michael Lowry
It may have been 'only Italy'—and an Azzurri line-up reduced to 13, at that—but Michael Lowry will nonetheless look back on his Ireland debut with glee after dotting down twice in Dublin.
Ulster's lightning full-back looks destined for further involvement after beating three defenders and running for 75 metres, though his defensive attributes are certain to encounter bigger tests in future.
14. Wing - Alex Cuthbert
While the vast majority of Wales' attack didn't show up until the final 30 minutes or so at Twickenham, Alex Cuthbert was a constant thorn in England's side and racked up an astonishing 146 carrying metres.
No player this weekend accumulated more with ball in hand, while the seven defenders Cuthbert broke past was also a third-round high.
13. Outside centre - Gael Fickou
The first among a list of French backs to make the cut this week, Gael Fickou executed the fundamentals without much need for flash in an industrious win against the Scots.
Only one of France's starting backs ran for fewer metres than Fickou (11), and yet his nine tackles in midfield helped choke the hosts' attack, and his try on the stroke of half-time was a crucial momentum-swinger.
12. Inside centre - Jonathan Danty
Relentless power is a given whenever Jonathan Danty plays, but the La Rochelle centre showcased there's more subtlety to his play with some superb link-up play in France's back line.
Widened the gap between Les Bleus and Scotland with a timely try early in the second period at Murrayfield, racking up a useful 12 tackles along the way.
11. Wing - Damian Penaud
France may have been missing the tournament's top try-scorer as Gabin Villiere sat out the trip to Edinburgh, but they birthed another after Damian Penaud's brace saw him tie level at the top of the charts.
Not only did the Clermont man stride over twice and amass 85 metres from three clean breaks, but it was his ingenuity that helped tee up Yoram Moefana for a superb try.
10. Fly-half - Romain Ntamack
The catalytic converter in a French back line that looked back to its purring best on Saturday, Romain Ntamack had Scotland's defence chasing shadows with a deep bag of party tricks.
The Toulouse talisman's day got off to a horror start when he sent the kick-off out on the full, but he battled back to impress and capped the game off with a beautiful cross-field kick for Penaud's second try.
Marcus Smith is unfortunate to miss out after an 18-point contribution in the win over Wales, his highest Test contribution in England colours to date.
9. Scrum-half - Antoine Dupont
The smallest member of this current France team but easily their biggest inspiration, stand-in captain Antoine Dupont was once again a cut above the rest at Murrayfield.
Ran from inside his own half to help Paul Willemse cruise over for the breakthrough try and completed 13 tackles on the day—only Francois Cros (16) contributed more.
1. Loosehead prop - Cyril Baille
Among the try-scorers in France's second-round triumph over Ireland, Cyril Baille turned creator in Scotland when he showcased a cute pair of hands to put Moefana in for a score.
2. Hooker - Peato Mauvaka
As much as Julien Marchand may have helped set the tone in Edinburgh, replacement Peato Mauvaka continues to ramp up pressure on the Toulouse captain with massive contributions off the bench.
Only played 26 minutes at Murrayfield and yet carried for more metres than any other French forward (34) and doubled Marchand's try tally (just two).
3. Tighthead prop - Tadhg Furlong
A sign Ireland were by no means taking Italy lightly in Dublin, tighthead Tadhg Furlong revelled in his work against lower-calibre opposition without exhausting himself in an hour-long outing.
Stellar tighthead performances were otherwise few and far between this weekend, with the likes of Kyle Sinckler, Zander Fagerson, Tomas Francis and Uini Atonio struggling to stand out.
4. Lock - Paul Willemse
Willemse brings the kind of South African lumber most coaches would love to see propping up their pack, and he put it to fine use when thundering over for the first try of the day against Scotland.
The Montpellier-based man mountain continues to lead from the front in making France one of the most difficult packs to combat in world rugby right now, thriving in the grunt work that often goes unnoticed.
5. Lock - Maro Itoje
Fly-half Smith may have come out with Player-of-the-Match honours, but team-mate Maro Itoje was very arguably the more deserving candidate following another talismanic Twickenham display.
A class act in the loose and at the set piece, although Wales fans will note his bump on Adam Beard that led to the line-out gaffe that gifted Alex Dombrandt his try.
6. Blindside flanker - Alex Dombrandt
Speaking of Harlequins ' all-action leader, Dombrandt moves to blindside in our fantasy back row in order to accommodate another No. 8 who earned plaudits at Twickenham on Saturday.
Showed superb awareness to run in for England's only try at Headquarters, but that was a small contribution to the 61 metres he amassed, beating four defenders along the way and registering a terrific 12 tackles.
7. Openside flanker - Rory Darge
A maiden outing at Murrayfield was only lacking the end result for Rory Darge, whose first senior start for Scotland led to a typically terrifying performance from the Glasgow Warriors prospect.
Darge may be just 22 years of age, but he already looks at home among world-class competition and came out with a try for his troubles, softening the blow of Hamish Watson's absence after he tested positive for Covid-19.
8. Number 8 - Taulupe Faletau
Seven months away from Test rugby or not, Taulupe Faletau returned to the Wales line-up with a vengeance and reminded the world what value he brings to their pack.
That prolonged absence didn't prevent Faletau playing the entire 80 minutes, and hooker team-mate Ryan Elias (20) was the only player to best his 19 tackles in any match this weekend.
