Every weekend of the Six Nations has players, teams and many more who disappoint and others who appear from nowhere to shock the world.
It was no different this week, with Wales shocking everyone with their newfound quality and world-class Finn Russell shockingly missing three out of three from the tee.
Controversy shrouded England’s win and their new secret weapon paid dividends in the penalty count.
Here are Charlie Elliott’s Stock Risers and Fallers for round three.
Risers
WillGriff John
Take a bow, WillGriff John.
Andrew Porter was given a lesson at the scrum as John absolutely demolished him.
While some are saying that it is the result of Porter finally being officiated properly, the Welshman deserves huge credit for his role in it.
In his first Six Nations start, he was simply brilliant and popped up all round the field. Many mocked his selection, but the critics are silent now.
Matt Sherratt
Finally, some life in Wales.
The impact that Matt Sherratt has had in such a short time is unbelievable, absolutely night and day compared to the end of the Warren Gatland era.
Selection was spot on, entertaining rugby was played, and they took the best team in the Six Nations all the way.
Things are finally looking up for Wales and they may even fancy their chances in their last two games against Scotland and England now.
Sherratt deserves applause for everything he has done so far.
Bundee Aki
The sight of Bundee Aki coming off the bench must have been extremely intimidating for Wales.
But what a cameo it was, with the Connacht man changing the game and getting Ireland over the line in what was a tough win against Wales.
His carrying is exceptional but was amplified off the bench against tired bodies and the battle scars he bore after the game just add to the aura that he possesses.
After a few games in which he hasn’t been at his best, he has thrust himself back into the forefront of the Lions conversation.
France
France needed something following the disappointing loss against England, and they delivered.
A shaky start was followed by 60 minutes of magic against Italy, in a 49-point victory that sets them up nicely for the huge game against Ireland.
They are still in with a shout for the Championship and that win will have struck fear into the Irish, which is exactly what they want.
The problem regarding consistency remains, but if they are at it, they are easily the best in the tournament.
England’s discipline
Two wins in two, with back-to-back games that have seen themselves conceding fewer penalties than their opponents.
Some might say that in this instance it was due to the officiating (more on that later) but they have really sorted out their discipline in recent weeks.
Christophe Ridley is the likely secret weapon, with the referee being consulted on officiating matters, attending England training twice a week.
This might explain why it seems like they have been pushing the limits of the officials and getting away with it. Ingenious.
Fallers
Pierre Brousset
It was never going to be easy for the young referee making his debut in the Six Nations in such a big tie, but sadly he will have left the field knowing that he got a few things wrong.
As mentioned, England were well disciplined, at least in the eyes of the referee. The reality is that a lot of marginal decisions went their way and changed the game.
Seemingly, Brousset made the last Finn Russell kick be taken a few metres wider than the try was scored, which made all the difference as the kick was a few metres wide of the posts.
THAT Maro Itoje penalty win was baffling as everyone could see he was not supporting his body weight.
Plenty of minor decisions and penalties went the way of England when they really shouldn’t have.
A huge shame, hopefully, he gets another shot at redemption and is given a chance in the Six Nations in future as mistakes happen.
Finn Russell
This choice needs a disclaimer. Finn Russell was not actually bad against England.
However, missing what would have been the winning kick and going zero for three from conversions is not his usual standard.
As one of the best in the world, Russell will always be judged with more scrutiny than most and that is why he is a stock faller because people will think that he is ‘finished’ after one missed kick.
In truth, he is still one of the best that there is and watching the full 80 there were still countless times in which he made things happen for Scotland.
With that being said, missing that last kick will forever be what he is remembered for in this game, which obviously isn’t a positive thing.
Italy
Again, possibly a slightly harsh one given that they were simply beaten by a better team.
The nature of the loss is what is concerning, as they got nowhere near France after around 20 minutes and ended up losing by a mammoth 49 points.
A mix of brilliance from the visitors and a soft performance from the Italians, they will be hugely disappointed to lose by that much.
It has been a positive campaign for Italy with the win against Wales, but this felt like a major step back.
They need to dust themselves down and recover for the last two games against England and Ireland and get some respect back from the bigger nations.
Gregor Townsend
Scotland looks to have gone as far as they can under Townsend and it might be time to part ways before things get sour.
They look like a team not hugely inspired by their head coach and he has done a good job to bring them to the level that they are at right now. But should they be serious about challenging, they need a change.
This group of players is good enough to beat England, which means that the coaching staff need to bear the brunt of the loss.
Too many times, they bottle it at crucial times and if they hired a coach used to winning, this might not be the case.
Fans are starting to turn, and it might be best for both parties if Townsend goes.
Appreciate the good that he has done but acknowledge that in order for the team to progress, the time might be right.
READ MORE: Six Nations Team of the Week – France stars shine in huge win over Italy
