RBS 6 Nations 2016: Top 5 Moments from Matchday 1

Fans could hardly have asked for a more entertaining and evenly matched start to the 2016 RBS Six Nations, which ended with England and France atop the table on two points apiece.

Ireland and Wales' draw at the Aviva Stadium means they sit back in the standings, but the 16-16 result was perhaps one that both teams could be content with.

Ultimately, it was a tight weekend of rugby, with Les Bleus' 23-21 win over Italy almost ending in the Azzurri's maiden win on French soil, while England's 15-9 win at Murrayfield could easily have gone Scotland's way.

We've compiled the five best moments of Matchday 1, with both good and bad, positive and negative, in focus.

5. Sergio Parisse's Bizarre Drop-Goal Attempt

It was comical, bemusing and saddening all at the same time on Saturday when Italy captain Sergio Parisse ended his team's hopes of making history in Paris thanks to his last-minute drop-goal attempt.

In a career full of highlight moments and correct decisions, this will undoubtedly go down as one of the No. 8's poorest few seconds. Jacques Brunel's side were showing a calm in France like never before and had their chance to keep running the ball into French territory, until Parisse's long-range effort put an end to it all.

It was every bit the kind of kick one might expect from your average No. 8, but that's not what Sergio Parisse is, and Balls.ie perhaps spoke for all of us when detailing how badly it wanted that ball to go over the upright.

Alas, it was not to be, and the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy went to Les Bleus for a third year in succession. Having said that, we'll never forget the time Parisse attempted the incredible in Paris and fell oh so short.

4. Jack Nowell Try Sets Up Murrayfield Deja Vu

It may not have seemed like it at the time, but with less than a converted try separating England and Scotland on Saturday, Jack Nowell's 50th-minute score came to play a massive role in the Red Rose's win.

That early try in the second period from the Exeter Chiefs man proved to be the last of the game, too, adding to the one George Kruis had scored in the first half.

The result coaxed memories of Murrayfield matchups between these two teams from years gone by; in 2012, England won 13-6 in Edinburgh. Two years prior to that, the two teams drew 15-15 and before that Scotland claimed back-to-back wins over the English in 2006 and 2008, both by margins of six points.

Nowell deserves plenty of praise for the way in which he scored, unearthing a few yards of space on the right flank before worming his way to the line.

3. Jamie Roberts and Robbie Henshaw's Meeting of Minds

Stu Forster/Getty Images

The rugby romantics out there may have felt the same child-like glee this writer did when Wales centre Jamie Roberts pulverised Irish counterpart Robbie Henshaw into the Dublin turf on Sunday.

However, it wasn't the hit itself that might have sent tingles down one's spine, but the notable exchange that followed between the two, and ITV Rugby posted footage of Roberts' easy-to-spot natter in the aftermath.

Just what was it the "Welsh Doctor" had to say to the Connacht youngster? Advice on how he should look to correct his carrying posture, perhaps? Or maybe Roberts was just asking for good spots in Dublin to grab a bite after the match?

We may never know, but for two players who could both find themselves on next year's British and Irish Lions tour, it was great fun to see a centre superstar of today "enlightening" one of tomorrow.

2. Jules Plisson Lifts Stade De France Spirits

Even Guy Noves may not have expected Italy to push his team quite so far in his first game as France head coach, but the win came nonetheless thanks to the second-half heroics of Stade Francais' Jules Plisson.

After Toulouse scrum-half Sebastien Bezy proved wayward with the boot all day in Paris, it was Plisson who took over kicking duties in the second period, and he capped it all by sealing the most important three points of the game.

Perched from out by the halfway line, the No. 10 looked serene when slotting over the match-winning penalty with just five minutes remaining, and Rugby World's Paul Williams could only applaud the effort.

1. Virimi Vakatawa Re-Announces Himself to 15-a-Side

As far as international debuts go, Virimi Vakatawa's undoubtedly ranks somewhere near the top after he took just 13 minutes to score the first try of his France career.

And what a maiden try it was (see video above), where the Fiji-born maestro showed all the confidence and stepping sizzle of his sevens career to dot down early and start France on their path to victory.

Ex-England winger Jason Robinson, another who hopped codes in his career, hailed Vakatawa's announcement on the 15-a-side stage, having not featured in the full-team format since leaving Racing 92 in 2013.

And it seems you can take the boy out of sevens, but you can't take sevens out of the boy, with Vakatawa showing all the nuances that made him such a threat on the World Series circuit, scoring with one hand on the ball. Some things never change.