Six Nations 2015: 5 Most Noteworthy Moments from Matchday 1

We are up and running in the 2015 Six Nations.

The opening weekend got off to a flyer with England's win in Cardiff, while we are yet to see the best of France and Ireland, who both won in far less eye-catching fashion.

Still, there was plenty to talk about after the first 240 minutes of the grand old championship.

From high-quality tries to controversial incidents, the Six Nations can be guaranteed to serve up plenty to debate.

Here are the five top moments that got jaws wagging.

1. Anthony Watson’s Try

Try of the weekend goes to Anthony Watson.

England hit back from 10-0 down with a well-worked score that was created by an intuitive piece of work from England full-back Mike Brown, who slid in a deft grubber kick for Watson to dash on to.

Watson did more than just score in his best England performance to date, looking secure under the high ball and putting his quick feet to good use.

He capped a wonderful 80 minutes for Bath Rugby, too, with all 21 English points coming from players who earn their corn at the West Country club.

2. James Haskell’s Barge into the Post

Jon Super/Associated Press

Haskell ran all over the park like an enthusiastic puppy in Cardiff.

He looked for all the world like scoring a try to seal England’s win in the second half.

As the Welsh tacklers closed in, the Wasps man twisted out of their reach to lunge over the line, only to smack head-first into the left upright of the Welsh posts.

At least he had time to see the funny side on his Twitter account: "What a night!! Who put a bloody post in the way!! So proud to be in that white shirt again."

3. George North Meets Hibbard’s Head

Concussion—and its treatment—is no laughing matter in rugby.

George North had already suffered one blow in the first half from the boot of Dave Attwood, after which he was removed, assessed, passed fit and allowed to return in line with the game's concussion protocol.

He was then unlucky enough to clash heads with team-mate Richard Hibbard in the second half, a blow which on slow motion looked sickening as a limp North cashed to the turf.

The Welsh medical team were, at the time, dealing with another player, and missed the incident, which led to North continuing without further assessment.

Former England hooker Brian Moore was commentating on the BBC at the game and used his column in The Telegraph to pour scorn on the Welsh Rugby Union's handling of the second incident:

"

A later collision saw North pole-axed and unarguably concussed as he landed on his face without any ability to protect himself from the fall. At that point, if not the former, North should have been permanently removed from play for his own good.

In the furore that followed the game the Welsh Rugby Union stated that their medical team did not see the second incident but that having now done so they are treating North as having been concussed. That is strange because 82,000 spectators saw it on the slow-motion replay via the stadium’s big screens and so must a good number of the 8 million TV viewers. It is also odd that it was not seen by any of Wales’ game analysts, who scrutinise the minutiae of the game on laptops.

You cannot say that the Welsh medical team were negligent and/or that they did not follow the protocol without more evidence. You can say that there was a glaring deficiency in Wales’ game management team as a whole that allowed a serious incident, one seen by many others, to go unobserved and unremedied.

"

Without apportioning any blame here, it was a snapshot of the gaps that still exist in the game’s approach to this issue, and one that World Rugby, the game's governing body, will need to be swift to address.

The debate rumbled on into Tuesday, with the WRU admitting North would have gone off had their staff seen the second incident at the time, and that "Welsh Rugby Union medics will have access to video replays at future matches," per BBC Sport.

4. Dan Biggar Meets Gethin Jenkins' Head

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Another red-on-red head clash occurred without concussive consequences in the Wales vs. England game, but it left poor old Dan Biggar nursing a massive gash in his bonce and a bloody nose.

Wales prop Gethin Jenkins is known as "Melon" thank to the size of his head, so he was the last man Biggar would have wanted to come into contact with.

Biggar collided with the front-rower early on and played the rest of the game with his head swathed in bandages.

Ouch.

5. Tommy O’Donnell’s Try

Ireland have had some vaunted occupants of its No. 7 jersey in recent times.

The 2009 and 2011 Lions both enjoyed the services of Irishmen in the Test open side shirt in the form of David Wallace and Sean O’Brien.

The latter was all set for a return to the number for Ireland on Saturday until he was undone by a hamstring in the warm-up.

Step forward Munster’s Tommy O’Donnell—no spring chicken at the age of 27—but sprightly enough to burst through a couple of Italian tackles and dash 40 metres for a fine try that added some much-needed gloss to Ireland’s defence of their title in in Rome.