Six matches, plenty of controversy and one referee who had a weekend he'd probably rather forget. We've graded every official from the latest round of the Nations Championship.

Referees rarely get much credit when things go right. But when things go wrong, everyone suddenly becomes an expert on the laws.

This weekend was no different.

From Eddie Jones questioning the officiating after Japan's defeat to Wales to a controversial try in France's victory over Fiji, there was plenty for supporters to argue about.

Some officials kept things ticking along nicely. Others had a rather more uncomfortable afternoon.

We've assessed all six referees on their decision-making, communication, consistency and overall control of the match.

Here are RUCK's referee grades, ranked from best to worst.The grades are RUCK's independent editorial assessments, not official World Rugby evaluations.

1. Karl Dickson – France 54-17 Fiji

RUCK grade: B+

English referee Karl Dickson takes top spot following a largely impressive performance in Lyon.

Fiji certainly had reasons to feel frustrated, but most of the contentious decisions were marginal rather than obvious mistakes.

The biggest talking point came when Vilimoni Botitu attempted to claim a mark near his own try line.

Dickson ruled that the Fijian had not established full control of the ball, allowing Aaron Grandidier to score.

It looked harsh at first glance, but replays offered support for the referee's interpretation.

There were also questions over a possible forward pass before Kalvin Gourgues' try, while the TMO correctly overturned Cameron Woki's apparent score.

Dickson communicated well despite the language barrier and generally allowed the game to flow.

Fiji may not have agreed with everything, but Dickson wasn't there to win a popularity contest.

RUCK verdict: A solid performance with several difficult calls handled sensibly. Not perfect, but the strongest of the six.

2. Pierre Brousset – England 45-22 Australia

RUCK grade: B

French referee Pierre Brousset had a busy afternoon at Allianz Stadium, particularly when it came to foul play.

The biggest decision involved Australia prop Angus Bell, who received a yellow card for a hip-drop tackle on England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

It was a significant moment following World Rugby's recent law changes.

Brousset also had an early England try ruled out after the TMO identified a forward pass in the build-up.

There were some frustrations around his scrum interpretations, with England struggling to establish the dominance many expected.

However, Brousset generally kept control of proceedings and handled the major incidents without allowing the contest to descend into chaos.

RUCK verdict: A good afternoon overall. The major foul-play decision was handled firmly, although some interpretations left room for debate.

3. Eoghan Cross – Italy 7-66 South Africa

RUCK grade: B

Irish official Eoghan Cross probably won't have too many sleepless nights looking back on this one.

South Africa ran riot in Turin, scoring ten tries as Italy endured a miserable afternoon.

The contest featured just 13 penalties, one yellow card and no red cards.

Cross generally kept things moving, with the referee rarely becoming the centre of attention.

There was little significant criticism of his performance afterwards, although the one-sided nature of the match meant he faced relatively little pressure in the closing stages.

Of course, a quiet afternoon doesn't automatically mean a perfect performance.

But when the Springboks are scoring almost at will, the last thing anyone needs is the referee making himself the main attraction.

RUCK verdict: An efficient outing without any major controversy identified. A solid B, although there was less evidence to assess than in some of the weekend's tighter contests.

4. Andrew Brace – Scotland 21-43 New Zealand

RUCK grade: C+

Andrew Brace had a considerably more eventful afternoon at Murrayfield.

The Irish referee handed out three yellow cards, faced questions over a missed high tackle and even found himself accidentally involved in the action.

New Zealand forwards Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi were both sent to the sin-bin during the first half.

Lakai was punished following repeated infringements, while Sititi followed after another offside offence.

For a brief period, the All Blacks were down to 13 players.

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu then received a yellow card early in the second half following repeated team infringements.

Brace deserves credit for his willingness to reach for his pocket rather than simply deliver another warning.

However, one incident involving Huw Jones raised serious questions.

The Scotland centre appeared to be caught by a high tackle during an attacking move, but the incident escaped punishment.

Scottish Rugby's official match report described the challenge as blatant, despite the officials reviewing the passage of play for a possible try.

Former England fly-half Andy Goode was impressed, describing Brace as one of the world's top three referees.

Some Scotland supporters had a rather different opinion.

There was even a moment when Brace appeared to accidentally tackle a Scotland player while trying to get out of the way.

Probably not one for his refereeing showreel.

You can read RUCK's full Andrew Brace referee assessment, including the contrasting reactions from pundits and supporters.

RUCK verdict: Decent control and firm discipline, but the potentially missed high tackle and questions over the flow of the match prevent a higher grade.

5. Paul Williams – Wales 28-21 Japan

RUCK grade: C

Paul Williams probably knew he was in for a difficult afternoon when Eddie Jones started discussing the refereeing afterwards.

The Japan coach interrupted his own post-match press conference to question the New Zealander's breakdown interpretations.

Jones was particularly frustrated by what he believed was a failure to penalise players who were not supporting their own body weight.

He claimed there had been just one penalty for that offence throughout the contest, and it had gone against Japan.

The former England boss clearly felt his side had not received a fair share of the decisions.

That doesn't necessarily mean Williams got them wrong.

However, consistency at the breakdown is vital, particularly in a match decided by just seven points.

Jones has never been shy about telling referees what he thinks. This time, though, his frustration raised a reasonable question about how consistently the breakdown was being managed.

RUCK verdict: A performance that raised questions about consistency. Jones' complaints alone don't prove mistakes, but Williams didn't emerge from Cardiff without scrutiny.

6. Luke Pearce – Ireland 42-12 Argentina

RUCK grade: D

Last place goes to Luke Pearce, who endured a difficult evening in Dublin.

We recently named Luke Pearce the best referee in world rugby. We're not changing our minds after one bad night. But we're certainly not handing out sympathy marks either.

But even the best have bad days.

The strangest moment came during the first half, when confusion over Argentina's front-row options led to an uncontested scrum just five metres from their own line.

Argentina had lost both hookers to head injury assessments.

However, the officials appeared unaware that loosehead prop Boris Wenger could hook, meaning contested scrums were still possible.

The error allowed Argentina to avoid defending a contested scrum in a dangerous position.

Irish Independent journalist Rúaidhrí O'Connor highlighted the confusion on X, questioning how such a situation could happen at international level.

There were further questions surrounding the scrutiny applied to incidents involving Dan Sheehan, including a disallowed try and disputed grounding decisions.

Pearce communicated well and generally maintained control, but the stop-start nature of the contest made for a frustrating watch.

Not every controversial decision was necessarily wrong, and the wider officiating team must share responsibility.

Nevertheless, the inconsistencies were difficult to ignore.

Our original Luke Pearce referee review also highlighted the frustration among Argentina supporters.

RUCK verdict: Too many inconsistencies for our liking. A disappointing evening for a referee capable of much better.