Best XV from Weekend's International Rugby Matches
Vengeance was the theme of this weekend's international action as France gained revenge over England with a 25-20 win in Paris, while Scotland beat Italy 16-12 in Turin to make up for a Six Nations defeat earlier this year.
International coaches all over will have learned their lessons from Saturday's World Cup warm-ups double, with some of Europe's stars making a final bolt for a place at the major tournament next month..
A smaller sample of players to pick from by no means limits the quality of this weekend's best international XV, where stars from England and France claim a majority of our places.
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15. Mike Brown, England
A late revival in Paris may not have been the performance England were seeking against France, but Mike Brown was one of the few who managed even to enhance his reputation with a generally safe display.
His safety under the high ball was at its usually prolific standards, contending particularly well against Yoann Huget on several occasions, and his 80 carrying metres were the most managed by any player.
Huget's quick feet did expose Brown en route to his opening try, but it proved to be Brown's only standout error in defence, while France counterpart Scott Spedding missed more tackles (two) than he made (one).
14. Yoann Huget, France
As aforementioned, it was a supremely confident Huget break that gave France their only try on Saturday, an example of the carrying ability he boasts coming off his flank and into the line.
That highlight accounted for a bulk of the winger's 62 carrying metres, skipping away from three defenders en route, but his tackling was shown to be in need of some improvement.
11. Jack Nowell, England
Jonny May and Anthony Watson have each enjoyed some of the spotlight in England's warm-up action, so it was only right Jack Nowell got his chance in Paris, impressing massively despite the loss.
The Exeter Chiefs star beat an astonishing 10 defenders and always looked capable of causing a panic in the French defence, making Stuart Lancaster's choice of who starts out wide that much more difficult.
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13. Jonathan Joseph, England
Give him a sniff of the line at your peril; Jonathan Joseph showed lethal form at the death on Saturday to glide over for what may have been little more than a consolation try, per Sky Sports, but he'll take the confidence boost that comes with it.
Mathieu Bastareaud had a hard time dealing with Joseph's direct running at times, and the Bath centre was one of the few England starters who upheld his end of the defensive graft, missing none of his tackle attempts.
12. Matt Scott, Scotland
Misfield has been an intriguing position of some strength for Scotland in recent years, and Matt Scott again proved himself to be a highly talented option at centre with a leader's display against Italy.
It was his break that set Henry Pyrgos up for the game's sole, decisive try, operating well with No. 13 Richie Vernon before looking even better alongside his replacement Peter Horne, indicating where the strength lies.
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10. Danny Cipriani, England
Danny Cipriani's selection may seem nonsensical to some after he played just 17 minutes in Paris and was fielded at full-back even then, but so impressive was his impact that he tops the fly-half contenders.
Unlike what we saw from the man he replaced, George Ford, Cipriani was incisive and showed superb initiative to step and barrel his way over for a 71st-minute try, collecting 38 metres in all.
Freddy Michalak may have kicked 17 points for Les Bleus, but England gifted the French No. 10 his scores, contributing little else apart from that fanfare with the boot.
9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, France
Michalak's half-back partner Sebastian Tillous-Borde, on the other hand, was a sight more impressive as he fed Les Bleus the ammunition they needed to make quick yards in the first half.
Ironically, it wasn't until he came off for Rory Kockott in the 70th minute that France leaked two tries, with the breakdown becoming a more even contest after that point.
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8. Louis Picamoles, France
For the second week in succession, Louis Picamoles left a thudding impact on the England lineup thanks to a mauling display back in front of a home crowd, where he again sat among France's best performers.
The Telegraph's Mick Cleary described the juggernaut as "a team on his own" as Picamoles carried for 48 metres in all—the rest of the France pack managed a collective 53 metres between them.
7. John Hardie, Scotland
The latest New Zealand-born addition to Vern Cotter's setup, Southland native John Hardie made just about as good a debut as he could have hoped for in the win over Italy, standing out from the crowd as intended.
The openside's 15 tackles were second only to flank partner Alasdair Strokosch, and the 27-year-old even managed to make a dent in the Italian defence, averaging just under six metres per carry in Turin.
6. Samuela Vunisa, Italy
Saracens' new signing moves into the No. 6 jersey to accommodate the brawling Picamoles, but Italy No. 8 Samuela Vunisa was a force to be reckoned with, too, after stampeding for 64 metres against the Scots.
Not only that, but the Fijian-born talent was also one of only four players in Jacques Brunel's starting XV to not miss a tackle on Saturday, marshalling the hosts as the Azzurri's standout player.
Brunel will feel more comforted in knowing Vunisa can help fill any void caused should captain Sergio Parisse ever fall, although fielding the Saracens man at blindside may be something to consider.
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5. Courtney Lawes, England
A Courtney Lawes performance just isn't the same without a few shuddering knocks to go along with it, and the Northampton Saints star didn't disappoint.
Dominating at the line-out, Lawes picked up a useful 30 metres in attack and showcased why England will be glad to have his presence back among their ranks.
4. Yoann Maestri, France
The second Yoann to make this weekend's XV is France lock Maestri, who played his role in leading Les Bleus' forwards when claiming their head-start against England on Saturday.
Philippe Saint-Andre's men ghosted ahead early on thanks largely to the pack's graft, and his place in the second row looks only further cemented, making valuable yards around the fringes and ever willing to do the dog-work at the breakdown.
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3. Rabah Slimani, France
England may have been expected by some to rule the scrum at the Stade de France, but Rabah Slimani turned the screw enough on Joe Marler to ensure that was far from being the case.
Journalist Paul Eddison hailed Slimani as an underrated talent, and although his impact in the loose was minimal, France's set-piece advantage came largely thanks to his fine work at the scrum.
2. Jamie George, England
So few and far between were standout hooker performances in the international forum this weekend that Jamie George's substitute debut was sufficient to top the billing.
Tom Youngs was busy but ineffective in Paris, and George quickly improved the line-out with more reliable throwing following his 48th-minute introduction, not to mention making 15 metres from just two carries and four tackles during his cameo.
1. Eddy Ben Arous, France
The other component of that French front row that operated so well was loosehead Eddy Ben Arous, who made Dan Cole look wildly off the pace at times.
The Racing Metro man could do with curtailing some indiscipline at the breakdown, but Ben Arous was eager to make an impact at first receiver and carried just about as frequently as any of his forward team-mates.
All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.
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