RBS 6 Nations 2016: Top 5 Moments from Matchday 3

England and Wales are poised for an all-or-nothing decider at Twickenham after each extending their unbeaten campaigns in Matchday 3 of the 2016 RBS Six Nations.

Wales came out on top of an at-times dire contest against France, beating Les Bleus 19-10, but England remain a point ahead of Warren Gatland's side following a 21-10 victory over Ireland.

Scotland also finally got their tournament up and running thanks to a 36-20 triumph over Italy in Rome last Saturday, a fixture that featured its fair share of highlights as Vern Cotter's men got a head of steam.

Controversies, class and one-of-a-kind gaffes all feature as we round up the five-best moments from Matchday 3 of the 2016 RBS Six Nations.

1. George North's Fortunate Fumble

Cardiff's Principality Stadium bounded from high to low and back again on Friday evening, when George North's blushes were spared thanks to a timely intervention from France fly-half Jules Plisson.

A streak down the left wing looked certain to end with a try for the Northampton Saints star, but when North missed a crucial short-range kick off the ground, Plisson was on hand to get the ball where it needed to go—at least from a Welsh point of view.

Former Scarlets man North has endured a rocky period for Wales over the past year, but he was once again able to showcase some of his effective running against Les Bleus, even if it came with a little opposition assistance.

Plisson's error will undoubtedly not have gone unnoticed by coach Guy Noves, and with Francois Trinh-Duc making his return to fitness, the Stade Francais No. 10 could drop outside the XV next time out.

2. Greig Laidlaw's Kicking Masterclass

PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

Three tries courtesy of John Barclay, John Hardie and Tommy Seymour set Scotland on their way to victory over the Azzurri last Saturday, but the 21 points notched by captain Greig Laidlaw from the tee ultimately decided the tie.

That tally unsurprisingly saw the Gloucester scrum-half elected man of the match. He led his side in the most literal sense to clinch their first win of this year's European blockbuster.

Laidlaw missed just one of his nine kicking attempts at the Stadio Olimpico, once again standing up to the pressure of the captaincy in admirable fashion to guide Scotland to the spoils. 

3. Mike Brown Leaves Conor Murray Bloodied

An incident that divided opinion during England's 11-point win over Ireland late on saw Harlequins full-back Mike Brown make obvious contact with the head of Conor Murray while attempting to kick away a grounded ball.

Ireland No. 9 Murray required stitches after Brown's swinging feet rattled the floored scrum-half's head, opening the debate as to whether the Englishman should have been carded at the time.

Ex-England prop Jeff Probyn admitted he was surprised to see Brown escape without citation following the scrap, per BBC Sport: "I am surprised that he hasn't been cited but in reality he's got away with it. He's a good player and England would have missed him had he been banned from the game. I was at Twickenham and the big screen showed it over again and everyone was a little bit puzzled why Danny Care, not Brown, got yellow carded."

The laws of rugby state a player can contest for the ball on the floor as long as their actions aren't reckless in manner, but many will debate Brown verged beyond the boundary on this occasion.

4. Stuart Hogg's Offloading Majesty

This is the kind of stuff we were taught as youngsters, except pulled off with all the confidence and guile only a star like Stuart Hogg could be expected to perform under such pressurised circumstances.

Drawing his defender in textbook fashion, the Glasgow full-back set up team-mate Tommy Seymour for a 78th-minute score to compound Italy's misery in Rome last Saturday.

Hogg also exhibited a venomous step en route to setting up one of Scotland's earlier tries, but this was the piece of genuine class that really set him apart as a playmaking powerhouse on Saturday.

5. Twickenham Debuts

GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

Of all the Six Nations combatants, it's undoubtedly Ireland and England who have undergone the most severe changes; for the Irish, it's been a transition in the wake of several key retirements, while England's next generation is emerging under the guidance of new coach Jones.

Having already seen Maro Itoje, Jack Clifford and Paul Hill make their debuts earlier in the competition, centre Elliot Daly became the next Englishman to make his bow against Joe Schmidt's men.

Then there were the debutants flooding in for Ireland, too, as Ultan Dillane, Stuart McCloskey and Josh van der Flier all followed CJ Stander by making their first Test appearances at Twickenham.

There's widespread change afoot among Europe's giants, and Saturday's clash between Ireland and England in particular gave way to some very intriguing beginnings.