Monday 13 February 2017 14:37, UK
A brilliant Stuart Hogg performance and Dylan Hartley's future feature in Stuart Barnes' Six Nations talking points.
1 It was quite some game in Cardiff. England's winning run came perilously close to being ended by a Welsh team that left behind this season's lethargy and played with a pace and ambition that deserves plenty of praise even in defeat.
For a second week running England were second best for the majority of the game. The Red Roses are becoming adept at playing catch-up rugby but it's a dangerous game to play.
Two home games at Twickenham to come. Dublin is looming, not as a winner-takes-all Grand Slam decider but the scene for an England tilt at back-to-back Grand Slams and a world record run of Tier 1 Test victories. If they achieve it against Ireland they will have earned it.
2 Ali Willliams made the point that the Lions tour to New Zealand seemed to be bringing the best out of the British and Irish players. That hasn't been the case every four years but with the majority of the nations daring to poke their heads out from the defensive mindset that has choked European rugby for so long, we are witnessing some individual performances to bring a smile to the face of Warren Gatland.
In Cardiff, in no particular order, Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton, Ross Moriarty, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies all excelled for Wales while Jamie George, James Haskell and Ben Te'o (a bolter per chance?) lifted the English tempo and George Ford had more than a few moments at No 10. Owen Farrell yet again played like a Test banker.
3 What happens with Dylan Hartley? Eddie Jones has placed great store by his skipper but he is not producing the goods.
There is no ball-carrying, missed tackles and as for leadership, Jones took him off as early as 46 minutes and England found their way to the winning line.
Farrell looks ready to lead the side and an impressive Jamie George looks ready to start. One benefit of this obsession with catch-up is that it proves the players can keep their heads under the greatest duress.
4 I was disappointed with the match in Paris. I thought both sides failed to build on their encouraging first-weekend performances.
France may have lost at Twickenham but they produced more than a few moments of real fluency in defeat. They rather petered out in Paris as the game degenerated badly in the second half. It was tense, but that's not the same as good.
It was edge-of-the-seat stuff for those committed to either of the causes but after the intensity of the previous day in Cardiff, this was back to the second-division stuff. To see the French raising their arms to the heavens at full-time and hugging one another after beating Scotland was to realise how far the once powerful rugby nation of France has fallen.
5 Another try for Stuart Hogg and another accomplished performance in both attack and defence. He's vying with Owen Farrell for the player of the tournament after two weeks - early days, folks - but more importantly from his perspective he is head and shoulders above any other full-back.
With Farrell there to kick the goals the biggest threat - on this form - to his Lions hopes is an injury to the Englishman and a possible conservative decision to opt for the boot of Leigh Halfpenny.
6 The Irish response to defeat in Edinburgh was inevitable. They are too good a team to put in two under-par performances. I expected them to wrap up the bonus-point victory within 50 minutes but four in 40 was going some.
Two hat-tricks as well. CJ Stander grabbed one but I think the best blindside flanker performance of the weekend came from Warburton who, along with Biggar, really reminded their doubters - myself included - of their many qualities.
The second hat-trick was claimed off the bench by Craig Gilroy; it was as impressive from Ireland as it was awful from Italy.
7 Conor O' Shea has been defending Italy's rights to be part of the Six Nations, but the participation of Italy or not is the wrong question.
Take the countries out of it and allow whoever the winners of the second tier tournament to have a play-off, home and away, with the bottom-placed team in the Six Nations, be that England or Italy.
It's not about Italy bashing but getting the best possible tournament in place, and allowing the potential outside these Six Nations to be realised. If the tournaments are made into matters of merit, nobody can complain.
We are getting the issue wrong by using Italy's name.
As a footnote, anyone notice that Germany beat Romania on Saturday? Maybe Berlin appeals to the committee men more than Bucharest.
8 In the week since the last column the sport lost first Joost van der Westhuizen and then Sione Lauaki, just 45 and 35 years of age respectively. The latter was a fine player, the former a legend.
I remember his efforts, carrying an injury against the outstanding Wallaby World Cup-winning team, in the 1999 semi-final. On one leg he took Australia to extra time through his sheer will-power. He was a force of nature. Commiserations to both their families.
9 On a more cheerful note, it is good to see a couple of Welsh regional sides doing well. The Scarlets claimed a crucial and impressive away win in Glasgow with their strength in squad depth outdoing that of Gregor Townsend's team.
This week the Ospreys meet Munster in Swansea. There may be many men missing during the international period but it promises to be a fascinating game with the winners taking a substantial step towards a home semi-final.
10 So much for me stating that the momentum had shifted Bristol's way in the relegation battle. What the hell is this 'momentum' we keep talking about?
Bristol were supposed to beat a Harlequins team, stripped of their stars and incapable of winning on the road, while Saracens, even with so many of their elite injured or unavailable, would nick it at Worcester.
The pressure is back on Bristol but there's no talk of momentum to be found in this column…
