Six Nations 2021 bonus points: How does the table work? Full scoring system explained
Six Nations: What to look out for this year
Bonus points have been used in domestic club competitions as well as the Rugby World Cup for some time. But it wasn’t brought into the Six Nations until the 2017 championship. This was due to the fact that a team could win all five matches (the Grand Slam) but still miss out on the title if another team won four matches with a bonus point and lost the other game by seven points or fewer.
Organisers, though, solved this issue by awarding an additional three points should a team complete the Grand Slam.
Pat Whelan, who was Six Nations chairman at the time, said: “We have been looking at the feasibility of a bonus point system for a while and examining what kind of bonus point system would work best, given the unique properties and format of our Championships.
“We needed to ensure that whatever bonus point system we selected would work with the already proven structure of the Championships, and would serve to materially improve what is already there.
“We are happy that the system that we have decided to trial is the one best suited to our Championships, and we are delighted to be going ahead with this new development.
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“We believe that the initiative will enhance our competitions for fans, teams, broadcasters and all of those for whom the Championship means so much.”
Ireland were the first team to earn three bonus points for the Grand Slam in 2018, with Wales achieving the feat 12 months later.
Six Nations 2021 scoring system explained
As per the tournament’s official rules, the nation that wins a game earns four Match Points but a bonus point is added if they score four or more tries during the game (thus claiming five Match Points in total).
The losing team will not receive any Match Points but can claim a bonus point if they score four tries or more or lose by a margin of seven points or less.
If a nation scores four or more tries and also loses the game by a margin of seven points or fewer, they will collect two bonus points.
Countries that draw a game shall each be awarded two Match Points and any of them that scores four tries or more in the process shall be awarded an additional one Match Point.
Games that end in a draw will see countries awarded two Match Points, plus any bonus they may have earned from the above criteria.
A nation that wins all five of their fixtures (the Grand Slam) will be awarded an additional three Match Points at the end of the tournament.
Six Nations table explained
If two or more teams end up with the same number of points, they will be placed according to the difference between the total points scored and the total points conceded during the games they have played.
If any such teams also have the same points difference, they will be placed according to the total number of tries they have scored (this includes penalty tries).
If any such teams have also scored the same amount of tries, the teams will be placed equally.
Six Nations 2020 table
- England – 18 points (2 bonus)
- France – 18 points (2 bonus)
- Ireland – 14 points (2 bonus)
- Scotland – 14 points (2 bonus)
- Wales – 8 points (4 bonus)
- Italy – 0 points
England won the 2020 Six Nations via points difference in total points scored and total points conceded.
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