Scotland put in a brave effort against South Africa but were eventually downed, while France made up for a poor start against Argentina to come out deserved winners.

Ireland were the big winners of the weekend, seeing off Fiji 53-0 in an uncapped international that will give head coach Declan Kidney more than a few selection headaches ahead of this weekend’s clash against Argentina.

Here we pick our RBS 6 Nations team of the week:

15. Leigh Halfpenny
Despite Wales suffering a fifth successive defeat, the boot of Halfpenny remains as consistent as ever, with the Cardiff Blues full-back notching 14 points.

14. Vincent Clerc
French wing Clerc’s predatory instincts were on full show against Argentina, the speedster taking his international try tally to 34 with another two against the Pumas.

13. Alberto Sgarbi
Up against the All Blacks' first choice centre pairing of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, Sgarbi was outstanding, scoring a try and producing his best performance in an Azzurri jersey to date.

12. Ashley Beck
His long-range interception try was as good as it got for Wales against Samoa on Saturday, as the reigning RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam champions fell to a second successive autumn international defeat.

11. Craig Gilroy
The Ulster winger staked his claim for a starting berth with a hat-trick of tries against Fiji, and he’ll be looking to carry that on if picked against Argentina.

10. Frederic Michalak
The France fly-half appears back to his regal best, pulling all the strings for Les Bleus as they bounced back from a sluggish start to see off a powerful Argentina side. The mercurial talent also notching 24 points with the boot.

9. Henry Pyrgos
Glasgow scrum-half Pyrgos made a big impression from the bench against South Africa. Despite his side going down 21-10, his try was the standout moment for Scotland.

1. Mako Vunipola
Despite not starting, Saracens prospect Vunipola came on and gave head coach Stuart Lancaster a selection dilemma with his solid showing in both the tight and the loose.

2. Sean Cronin
As one of the more senior players to represent Ireland at the weekend, Cronin proved his worth by notching a typically bulldozing try and a faultless performance finding his jumpers in the lineout.

3. Mike Ross
Fiji wasn’t the toughest test for the Leinster prop, but his performance was nothing short of exemplary for some of his younger teammates.

4. Yoann Maestri
Having missed the previous clash against Australia, Toulouse second-row Maestri more than made up for it with a strong showing against Argentina.

5. Pascal Pape
The French captain will have been disappointed by his side’s first-half performance against Argentina, but he led from the front to see them over the line.

6. Iain Henderson
Having only signed his first professional contract with Ulster in October, this dominating performance proves he is a special talent, and he will be looking to get some more game time before the year is out.

7. Yannick Nyanga
Toulouse’s powerful flanker was at his explosive best to notch a first-half try against Argentina – and it was the catalyst as the hosts went on to win 39-22.

8. Jamie Heaslip
The 28-year-old was at his best to see off the Pacific Island threat of Fiji, and he’ll be looking for the same against Argentina this weekend.