Standout performers in Six Nations Round Four
Today at 10:57 AM
SPOTLIGHT: France rose to the top of the Six Nations table by ending Ireland's bid for Grand Slam glory with a dominant display that left Les Blues in pole position to take the title when they are at home to Scotland in next weekend's tournament finale.
Meanwhile, England stayed in title contention with a decisive victory over Italy after Scotland did just enough to inflict yet more woe upon Wales.
AFP looks at three things we learned from Round Four of the championship.
Understudy Lucu takes centre stage
Imagine growing up wanting to be an international rugby player and then finding that when the time comes, your path is blocked not only by one of the best players who has ever played in your position but by someone who is also regarded as one of the best anywhere on the field?
That is the fate of France scrumhalf Maxime Lucu, deputy to the talismanic Antoine Dupont.
When France captain Dupont went off injured with more than half of Saturday's match against double-defending champions Ireland to play, visiting fans in Dublin might have feared the worst.
But it is a measure of how well the 32-year-old Lucu, the lone back on France coach Fabien Galthie's bench, performed at Lansdowne Road that Les Bleus barely suffered from Dupont's absence.
The Bordeaux-Begles No.9 Lucu - arguably possessed of an even quicker pass than fellow scrumhalf Dupont - ensured there was no squandering of the advantage gained up front by France's hugely powerful forwards.
His performance was central as France produced a display in Dublin that was every bit as sublime as their error-strewn effort in a preceding one-point, Grand Slam-ending, loss to England at Twickenham had been ridiculous.
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Sleightholme maintains strikerate
Ollie Sleightholme scored two of England's seven tries as their backs cut loose in a 47-24 win over Italy at Twickenham that boosted their hopes of a first Six Nations title triumph in five years.
The Northampton wing had to wait for his chance at Test level after leading the Premiership try-scoring charts last season with 15 from 14 games as the Saints took the title.
But the 24-year-old son of former England flyer Jon Sleightholme has now scored six tries in just eight internationals since making his Test debut in New Zealand last year, with his haul including scores against Australia and world champions South Africa - no mean feat in an England team often criticised for lacking ambition in attack.
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Wales skipper Morgan still leading from the front
One of the hardest things in rugby is to continually play well in a losing side.
Yet Wales captain Jac Morgan, who plays in the physically demanding role of blindside flanker, has still to let his standards slip this Six Nations.
Saturday saw Wales suffer a national record-extending 16th successive Test defeat as they lost 29-35 away to Scotland.
The final scoreline in Edinburgh was somewhat misleading, given Scotland led 35-8 early in the second half at Murrayfield.
Even during Wales' wretched start, Morgan - with blood running from his nose - produced an immense display in defence, whether winning turnovers or carrying strongly.
His efforts could not disguise the lightweight nature of much of Wales' forward play.
Morgan could yet gain some personal reward as 2025 sees the British and Irish Lions in action - something that only happens once every four years.
There is plenty of competition for loose forward places, but it will be a major surprise if Morgan is left out by Lions boss Andy Farrell for a tour of Australia featuring three Tests against the Wallabies in July and August.
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