Scotland’s first opening day RBS Six Nations win since 2006 not only underlined the side’s improvement under outgoing head coach Vern Cotter but it also saw them close the gap to South Africa in the World Rugby Rankings to just two-hundredths of a rating point.

A win away to France in Paris next weekend would see them leapfrog the Springboks into sixth place, matching their highest-ever position, while also strengthening their bid to be in the second band of seeds - for nations ranked fifth to eighth - when the RWC 2019 pool draw takes place in Kyoto on 10 May.

Stuart Hogg’s brace of tries, Alex Dunbar’s cheeky lineout score and 12 points from the unerring boot of captain and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw together with a Herculean defensive effort, which saw them make 213 tackles, earned the Scots a 27-22 win at Murrayfield and a fraction over one rating point, taking them on to 81.77 points overall.

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Should Scotland keep this momentum up, a place in the top four - and a band one position - is not out of the question.

For now, Ireland stay fourth but the loss of 1.10 points allayed to Wales’ 0.44 of a point gain for beating Italy, means Joe Schmidt’s side are nervously looking over their shoulders. Only 0.54 of a point now separates the 2015 Six Nations champions from the Red Dragons.

IT'S TE'O TIME!

It was impossible for England to improve their rankings position, whatever the result against France with a 10.33 point and six-place difference between the sides, and all the focus was on whether they could achieve a record 15 consecutive test wins. That they did, was thanks to Ben Te’o and his fellow ‘finishers’, as Eddie Jones likes to call his replacements.

Up until that point France had caused a misfiring England no end of problems, with Camille Lopez threatening to kick Les Bleus to victory at Twickenham for the first time since fellow left-footer Dimitri Yachvili achieved the feat in 2006.

Three first-half strikes from Lopez were cancelled out by two from Owen Farrell and a monster, 51-metre penalty from Elliot Daly for a 9-9 half-time scoreline that did a disservice to France's dominance.

Daly thought he’d scored the first try of the game shortly after the restart once England finally found some fluency in their attacking game but the TMO correctly ruled his foot had brushed the touchline.

Instead, it was France who crossed first, replacement prop Rabah Slimani silencing the Twickenham crowd with a try near the posts to put Les Bleus 16-12 up, after Farrell had temporarily given England the lead with his third penalty.

England’s bid to make history was in danger of going off the rails until Te’o got them over the line.

COMETH THE HOUR ...

Wales, meanwhile, toiled for an hour against Italy in Rome before pulling away from their hosts by scoring three tries in the final quarter through wingers Liam Williams and George North and centre Jonathan Davies.

That they failed to get the first try-scoring bonus point of the Championship was something of a disappointment but, considering the position they were in – trailing 7-3 at half-time, there will be a certain sense of relief among Rob Howley’s men at just getting the win.

Having seen Wales fail to convert their early pressure into points, the Azzurri scored the opening try just before half-time with virtually their first sustained period of attacking play, scrum-half Edoardo Gori darting over for a five-pointer which Carlo Canna turned into seven.

Leigh Halfpenny got Wales on the board with a penalty just before the half was out and then kicked three more within 16 minutes of the turn, giving Howley’s men the belief that the game was there for the taking.

Andrea Lovotti’s yellow card for repeated scrum infringements proved the turning point, Wales stretching 19-7 ahead when Davies finished off good work from his midfield partner Scott Williams. Liam Williams was next to cross before North turned the Italian defence inside and out and then sprinted clear for a superb 60-metre try.

Wales and Italy remain unchanged in fifth and 12th in the rankings, although the Azzurri are now perilously close to dropping below Tonga, who are now only nine-hundredths of a point adrift.