Six Nations talking points: Finn Russell, George Ford, Antoine Dupont and Robert Baloucoune

The opportunity and ability for teams to rewrite their own stories in just a few weeks is one of the things that makes the Six Nations so appealing.

Underdog and outgunned in Rome in week one, Scotland are now France’s biggest rivals after a thrilling, nerve-wracking win in Wales that followed England’s destruction of the Calcutta Cup.

The home team was ahead 23-12 with 20 minutes to go, but Scotland prevailed 26-23 after some brilliant quick thinking from scrum-half Finn Russell.

He shifted the momentum of the match with a strike that caught Wales outside, allowing Darcy Graham to score in the corner. Again, Hamam number 10 was the name that made the difference.

“Great players emerge when it matters and Russell had his moments saving Scotland,” former Wales captain Sam Warburton told BBC Rugby Special.

“He’s been outstanding at managing the team when he’s in the game. He’s waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.

“He plays what he sees, he’s licensed and he’s got a great shot. The big game player showed himself in the last 30 minutes, he was flawless and was a big part of the comeback.”

“Scotland found a way to win ugly,” added former winger John Barclay.

“They found solutions and moved forward. In some ways this was their most important win for a while. It gave them a strong position in the table.”

Next? France are at Murrayfield on Saturday, March 7, and after three wins in a row, it’s Les Bleus’ chance to end their Grand Slam dreams.