Starting this weekend the Six Nations championship often described as the biggest annual rugby tournament in the world, will get underway. The matches can be seen live, or if it is a late kick off, replayed the following morning at Jimmy’s Sports Café in Buriram.
Bonus points will be awarded for the first time in the history of the tournament.
A team scoring four tries will get a bonus point, as will a losing team who get within seven points of the winners – with a special three-point bonus for a team winning all five of their matches.
Wales interim coach Rob Howley believes it could make for exciting rugby in the closing stages of games.
“The history and the legacy of the Six Nations is about winning the game,” he said.
“There’s no doubt there will be a mindset change in terms of the last 20 minutes of matches. If you find yourself near a bonus point you’re more likely to go for it.”
Meanwhile, England head coach Eddie Jones says he is unfazed by the change to the points system.
“I’ve grown up with bonus points. I was coaching Super Rugby when they first came in,” he said.
“It’s always been the fact, that if you play well you win and if you play really well you win with a bonus point. It’s as simple as that.”
Scotland and Ireland will get the 2017 Six Nations Championship underway with their Saturday afternoon match in Edinburgh on the 4th of February. Later that same day England and France will meet for ‘Le Crunch’ at Twickenham. The following day Italy will take on Wales in Rome.
Six Nations 2017 Fixtures List
Saturday 4th February 2017
- Scotland v Ireland at BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2:25pm
- England v France at Twickenham Stadium, London 4:50pm
Sunday 5th February 2017
- Italy v Wales at Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2:00pm
Saturday 11th February 2017
- Italy v Ireland at Stadio Olimpico, Rome 2:25pm
- Wales v England at Principality Stadium, Cardiff 4:50pm
Sunday 12th February 2017
- France v Scotland at Stade de France, Paris 3:00pm
Saturday 25th February 2017
- Scotland v Wales at BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2:25pm
- Ireland v France at Aviva Stadium, Dublin 4:50pm
Sunday 26th February 2017
- England v Italy at Twickenham Stadium, London 3:00pm
Friday 10th March 2017
- Wales v Ireland at Principality Stadium, Cardiff 8:05pm
Saturday 11th March 2017
- Italy v France at Stadio Olimpico, Rome 1:30pm
- England v Scotland at Twickenham Stadium, London 4:00pm
Saturday 18th March 2017
- Scotland v Italy at BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 12:30pm
- France v Wales at Stade de France, Paris 2:45pm
- Ireland v England at Aviva Stadium, Dublin 5:00pm
See you at Jimmy’s !