Owens had no choice with Dupont decision

The game in Paris was far more intense in contrast to the other two fixtures and I felt Nigel Owens held his nerve really well. He delivered consistently on the new law applications and the game was in the balance until the end.

There has been speculation regarding the head injury assessment for Antoine Dupont and whatever comes of it, I would be surprised if it killed off teams continuing to use the HIA as a ploy, and also if World Rugby comes up with an answer to cut out that type of shenanigan.

Any criticism, however, towards how Nigel handled the situation with Dupont would be well wide of the mark. How is the referee going to question the word of a qualified doctor? It is very rare that the official, after hearing a player requires a HIA from the medics, is going to dictate whether a player either stays or leaves the field, and it is not for the referees to challenge that.

In Rome the scoreline flattered England a bit, but not because they were poor. I actually thought Italy played some great rugby, not just aesthetically but from a technical perspective. I felt that Mathieu Raynal could have swallowed his whistle a bit as he came across quite inexperienced. There were numerous instances where he could have allowed the game to breathe a bit. For example, the offside law is about liability to be penalised, but does not have to be penalised every time.

Pascal Gauzere was one of the better referees in the autumn internationals and showed again in Cardiff why he was given one of the plum games in the Six Nations between Wales and Scotland.

I thought he showed some great empathy and balance. Gauzere was accurate at the scrum and also sold his decisions well to the public. His calls were clear and, overall, there were few issues. Gauzere deserves credit for his performance in Cardiff and got the law applications off to a great start. Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)

Has long been questioned but answered his critics with a brilliant display, scoring twice and nailing his kicks. Has a brilliant tactical brain.

Steff Evans (Wales)

A constant threat, sniping around the fringes and bursting into gaps. He was too hot for Scotland to handle and rounded it off with a brilliant finish for Wales’ fourth try.

Tomasso Boni (Italy)

Conor O’shea has found a real talent in Boni, who was excellent against England. Extremely strong and made a number of powerful carrie. He was unlucky to have a try ruled out for a forward pass.

Farrell (England)

We almost take his excellence for granted now. His kicking may have been slightly awry but directed the game brilliantly, timing his runs and claiming a try and an assist.

Anthony Watson (England)

His first try was simple but his second was sensational as Watson showed incredible strength to touch down in the corner. He also played well at full-back and is turning into a brilliant all-rounder.

Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)

Many fly-halves would have told their forwards to hold on to the ball on for another few phases but Sexton backs his talent to execute under pressure. That drop goal will live long in the memory.

Gareth Davies (Wales)

A superb player who will ensure Wales won’t miss Rhys Webb as much as feared. A great reader of the game, as he showed with that intercept score to set Warren Gatland’s side on their way.

Jefferson Poirot (France)

A sluggish game in Paris was made for tpoirot, a prop who consistently impresses me. His workrate never dropped as he made 17 tackles.

Guilhem Guirado (France)

The French captain was magnificent in a losing cause, making a staggering 31 tackles. He was a man on a mission and his withdrawal with six minutes left proved decisive.

Dan Cole (England)

You won’t have noticed Cole much but he was brilliant at helping England build a platform – dominating the scrum and ensuring they had the edge in the loose. That all helped lay the foundations for those late scores.

Iain Henderson (Ireland)

It is instructive that Henderson made as many metres with ball in hand – 29 – as wing Jacob Stockdale, and nine more than centre Robbie Henshaw. They were hard metres, too.

Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)

A true leader who took control of the game against Scotland and showed that at 32 there is no sign of him slowing down. I was particularly impressed by his destructive ball-carrying.

Aaron Shingler (Wales)

Brilliant against Scotland, setting the workrate and tempo for the team. I was also impressed by his handling, which meant he acted as the key link between the forwards and the backs.

Josh Navidi (Wales)

With Sam Warburton injured and Justin Tipuric on the bench there was so much pressure on Navidi’s shoulders and he handled it brilliantly. He has an incredible engine and is such a nuisance at the breakdown.

Sensational. The statistics don’t always tell the full story but Simmonds scored two tries, assisted another, carried 14 times for 80 metres and completed 23 tackles, which is incredible. His impressive pace gives him a real X-factor. It has to be, doesn’t it? Rugby is a team game but it can come down to individual moments and Saturday’s Test in Paris was an example of one player’s brilliance proving decisive. It was so far out, under so much pressure, but Sexton nailed it. firing but after that early wave there was nothing behind it. A sobering afternoon for coaches, players and fans alike.