Bonus points will make Six Nations even better

JUST before the start of the 2016 Six Nations Championship this column advocated the tournament trialling a bonus point system, and the announcement that it will be used for the first time when the 2017 tournament kicks off three months from now is good news. However, when the decision was confirmed this week it seemed to divide the rugby house.

Traditionalists took umbrage at the new system, although most of the protests seem to be more emotional than rational. The first point to be recognised is that it is a three-year trial, not something that has been cast in stone.

So, the knee-jerk reaction that the decision to introduce the bonus system of an additional point for scoring four tries or more, or losing by seven points or less, is the point of no return simply does not stack up.

Some of the naysayers also argue that the so-called ‘Super Saturday’ at the end of the 2015 Championship – when it came to a rare crescendo with England, Ireland and Wales all in with a chance of winning the title in a points difference shoot-out – is unbeatable.

That is only true if you like your sport to have a rigged deck. With the three fixtures given different starting times from early afternoon to evening to maximise the television audience, by playing Italy first Wales were in the least advantageous position. It gave their title-chasing rivals, Ireland and England, pre-match knowledge of what they had to do to overhaul the Welsh. England benefited most as they kickedoff against France also knowing what target they had to reach after Ireland had beaten Scotland.

That is one good reason why the idea that the current Six Nations system is a sacrosanct, pristine tournament that has resisted all change is wishful thinking.

There’s another reason to take off the blinkers. Namely, that the introduction of Italy in 2000 coincided with broadcasters taking the view that they could get more bang for their buck by ‘predictive’ arranging of fixtures, with the aim of achieving a climax on the closing weekend with the two strongest teams playing off for the title.

It is common knowledge that if you are to stand a chance of claiming the Six Nations title it is essential to get off to a winning start. This led to a fixture list which was stacked towards launching France, in particular, towards a showdown against England, with Wales and Ireland as back up. The upshot has been that in the last 16 tournaments the French have faced the two weakest sides, Italy and Scotland, in the opening round on 12 occasions. Ireland have also had a beneficial first round draw, facing the same two sides on nine occasions.

How can that possibly be called a level playing field, when England and Wales have faced each other seven times in the opening round over the same period?

A bonus point system is a breath of fresh air, especially if it helps to curtail this sort of fixture manipulation by convincing broadcasters that it is the best way of ensuring that the most accomplished teams are rewarded.

A further significant benefit is that the chance of securing bonus points means that defeat in the opening round is not the psychological death knell it was. It should encourage coaches and teams to have a go rather than resort to damage limitation, especially away from home.

I have never been an advocate of basketball rugby, where tries become so commonplace that they lose their value – and I do not believe the bonus point system will introduce that blight. It is important in any sport to strike a balance between attack and defence so that the game appeals to players and spectators alike, and bonus points have been successful in stopping defence from dominating Rugby Union.

Over the last 16 years the Six Nations has been in danger of losing that precious equilibrium, with the try tally in the tournament declining rapidly. From a high of 75 tries achieved three years in a row when Clive Woodward’s eventual 2003 World Cup-winning side were on the rise in the early Noughties it fell continuously before reaching a low point of 37 in 2013.

It has bounced back since then, and, after the all-Southern Hemisphere semi-final sides at the 2015 World Cup led the way in emphasising the virtues of attacking rugby, last year’s Six Nations saw 71 tries scored.

The best way to ensure that defences do not start to choke the life out of the Six Nations again is to ensure that attack is encouraged, as it is by the bonus point system employed in World Cups and European Cups.

Another idea that has been aired by traditionalists is that bonus points will be easier to come by in some Six Nations conditions – such as playing in the Rome sunshine against Italy – than they will be on a wet, miserable afternoon in Edinburgh.

This is a bogus concern, especially as the same argument applies under the current points differential system to two teams agreeing to play indoors under a closed roof at the Millennium Stadium when it’s bucketing down in Cardiff.

A few seasons ago I was in Rome for an England game when the city was covered in snow. The weather changes, and teams have to adapt to it, bonus system or not. In any event, every other season each team travels to Italy, which means that if the conditions are generally more conducive to scoring tries, any benefit in the Six Nations is shared over a two-year cycle.

Stop the carping, and give the bonus point system a chance to improve the best annual international tournament in the world.

“Bonus points have been successful in stopping defence from dominating Rugby Union”