Post by Panda on Feb 2, 2017 15:42:20 GMT 1
Gets underway this weekend with England looking to defend their title from last year when they completed the grand slam. Despite being unbeaten under Eddie Jones, a lengthy injury list may hamper their chances, with Ireland and Wales looking to capitalise.
This year, the bonus point format, commonly seen in other competitions is being trialed, with 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw and a bonus point awarded for scoring 4 or more tries in a game or losing by 7 or fewer points. Any team winning all 5 games will receive a 3-point bonus, eliminating any possibility (albeit slim) of a team doing the grand slam but not winning the championship.
If the system had been in place last year, the final table would have been:
1. England 24
2. Wales 16
3. Ireland 13
4. Scotland 10
5. France 8
6. Italy 1
Compared with:
1. England 10 (+62)
2. Wales 7 (+62)
3. Ireland 5 (+41)
4. Scotland 4 (+7)
5. France 4 (-27)
6. Italy 0 (-145)
Six Nations chiefs have refused to consider the possibility of promotion and relegation in the short-to-medium term, despite the improvement of Georgia, who beat all 3 main Pacific Islands nations last year and will be looking for a 4th consecutive Nations Cup grand slam when the tournament gets underway next week, also featuring Romania, Russia, Spain, Germany and Belgium.
BBC and ITV share coverage once again this year, with BBC showing games played in Scotland, Wales and France and ITV showing home games for England, Ireland and Italy.
Odds to win:
5/6 England
5/2 Ireland
9/1 Wales
16/1 France
25/1 Scotland
1000/1 Italy
Sat 4 Feb: Scotland v Ireland (14:25, BBC)
Sat 4 Feb: England v France (16:50, ITV)
Sun 5 Feb: Italy v Wales (14:00, ITV)
Sat 11 Feb: Italy v Ireland (14:25, ITV)
Sat 11 Feb: Wales v England (16:50, BBC)
Sun 12 Feb: France v Scotland (15:00, BBC)
Sat 25 Feb: Scotland v Wales (14:25, BBC)
Sat 25 Feb: Ireland v France (16:50, ITV)
Sun 26 Feb: England v Italy (14:00, ITV)
Fri 10 Mar: Wales v Ireland (20:05, BBC)
Sat 11 Mar: Italy v France (13:30, ITV)
Sat 11 Mar: England v Scotland (16:00, ITV)
Sat 18 Mar: Scotland v Italy (12:30, BBC)
Sat 18 Mar: France v Wales (14:45, BBC)
Sat 18 Mar: Ireland v England (17:00, ITV)
This year, the bonus point format, commonly seen in other competitions is being trialed, with 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw and a bonus point awarded for scoring 4 or more tries in a game or losing by 7 or fewer points. Any team winning all 5 games will receive a 3-point bonus, eliminating any possibility (albeit slim) of a team doing the grand slam but not winning the championship.
If the system had been in place last year, the final table would have been:
1. England 24
2. Wales 16
3. Ireland 13
4. Scotland 10
5. France 8
6. Italy 1
Compared with:
1. England 10 (+62)
2. Wales 7 (+62)
3. Ireland 5 (+41)
4. Scotland 4 (+7)
5. France 4 (-27)
6. Italy 0 (-145)
Six Nations chiefs have refused to consider the possibility of promotion and relegation in the short-to-medium term, despite the improvement of Georgia, who beat all 3 main Pacific Islands nations last year and will be looking for a 4th consecutive Nations Cup grand slam when the tournament gets underway next week, also featuring Romania, Russia, Spain, Germany and Belgium.
BBC and ITV share coverage once again this year, with BBC showing games played in Scotland, Wales and France and ITV showing home games for England, Ireland and Italy.
Odds to win:
5/6 England
5/2 Ireland
9/1 Wales
16/1 France
25/1 Scotland
1000/1 Italy
Sat 4 Feb: Scotland v Ireland (14:25, BBC)
Sat 4 Feb: England v France (16:50, ITV)
Sun 5 Feb: Italy v Wales (14:00, ITV)
Sat 11 Feb: Italy v Ireland (14:25, ITV)
Sat 11 Feb: Wales v England (16:50, BBC)
Sun 12 Feb: France v Scotland (15:00, BBC)
Sat 25 Feb: Scotland v Wales (14:25, BBC)
Sat 25 Feb: Ireland v France (16:50, ITV)
Sun 26 Feb: England v Italy (14:00, ITV)
Fri 10 Mar: Wales v Ireland (20:05, BBC)
Sat 11 Mar: Italy v France (13:30, ITV)
Sat 11 Mar: England v Scotland (16:00, ITV)
Sat 18 Mar: Scotland v Italy (12:30, BBC)
Sat 18 Mar: France v Wales (14:45, BBC)
Sat 18 Mar: Ireland v England (17:00, ITV)