The 2024 Guinness Six Nations concludes today with the championship still on the line. After England defeated Ireland in the final round, it means that four teams could still claim the title.
On 'Super Saturday', March 16, England will play France in Paris, while Scotland will play Ireland in Dublin. Mathematically, it is possible for any of these teams to win, even if Ireland are the big favourites, with England in second place and very outsiders. Ireland are aiming for a second consecutive title, while England are aiming for their first since 2020.
With Ireland playing first and needing just two points to retain the crown, it is possible that by the time England kick off in Lyon they will be playing to confirm second place. The last time Ireland lost to Scotland was in 2017 and the Scots have not beaten Ireland by more than seven points in the Six Nations since 2001.
Italy and Wales face off in Cardiff for what is essentially the wooden spoon match. Wales center George North has announced his retirement from international rugby after Saturday's match.
How to watch the 2024 Six Nations on TV
Programs will be shown on both the BBC and ITV in Britain this year. Live streams are available for free on the BBC iPlayer and ITVX apps and can be downloaded to mobile or tablet devices.
The long-term future of the Six Nations on free-to-air television is uncertain after the British government rejected calls to add the tournament to the list of sporting events that should be shown free-to-air. That has caused an uproar from seasoned observers like Martin Bayfield, who believes the tournament is not being promoted properly.
Schedule round five
All times GMTSaturday March 16: Wales v Italy
Kick-off: 2:15 p.m
Location: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
Channel: BBC
Saturday March 16: Ireland vs Scotland
Kick-off: 4:45 p.m
Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Matthew Carley (English)
Channel: ITV
Saturday March 16: France vs England
The story continues
Full Six Nations 2024 results
Round one
Round two
Round three
Round four
Six Nations table
What are the permutations in the final round?
By Will ConroyPoint system
A team receives four points for a win and two for a draw. A try bonus point is awarded for scoring four or more tries in a game, while a losing bonus point can be secured if you lose by seven or fewer points.
How Ireland can win
The reigning champions sit at the top of the table with 16 points, having won three of their four matches and gaining a bonus point in each match.
If Andy Farrell's side avoid defeat to Scotland at 4.45pm in Dublin, they will secure their second successive Six Nations title, and sixth in total.
How England can win
England are four points behind the Irish, who have also won three of their four matches but have failed to pick up a bonus point so far in the campaign.
However, if Ireland were to lose to Scotland without a bonus point, Steve Borthwick's side would be one point ahead of Ireland and be crowned champions if they beat France in Lyon and secured a bonus point themselves.
Even if Ireland loses without a bonus point and England went on to beat France of a bonus point, which would probably not be enough for England to win the title. That's because even if England were to finish the tournament level on points with Ireland, they certainly won't be able to close the 83-point gap between the teams on points difference.
The two teams could also finish level on points if the Irish are defeated in Dublin, but gain a losing bonus point before England go on to beat France on a bonus point.
How Scotland can win
Scotland are third, one point behind England, and have an equal number of points (11) and points difference (4) with France.
To make up the five-point deficit to Ireland, Scotland would have to beat Farrell's side, gain a try bonus point and win by a large margin to avoid losing an Irishman a bonus point.
Gregor Townsend's side would also need to win by a margin of more than 38 points to close the gap with Ireland. If Scotland could achieve that, they would still need England to lose, draw or win without a bonus point to have a chance of winning the title.
If the French were to beat England, Townsend's team would have to improve their result in terms of gaining a bonus point and margin of victory, due to their identical points difference.
How France can win
France's resounding victory over Wales on Sunday gave them their first bonus point and moved them level with Scotland.
Should Scotland beat Ireland in the earlier match, Fabien Galthie's side could claim the title if they beat England by a bonus point and outperform Scotland in terms of points difference.
Ironically, if Scotland beats Ireland by a convincing margin, France could get the job done to erase Ireland's +80 points difference.
What is at stake for Italy?
After their first Six Nations win at home in 11 years against Scotland on Saturday, Italy are looking to end their run of eight bottom places and will do so if they avoid defeat in Cardiff.
Gonzalo Quesada's side have a four-point lead over Wales after a draw against the French ahead of their win over Scotland and will be looking up as well as down.
If Italy beat Wales, as they did in Cardiff two years ago, they would move level with France and Scotland, although probably with a narrower points difference.
But if they also secured the try bonus point, they would move one point above these sides before their respective matches.
What's at stake for Wales?
Wales have had a miserable Six Nations season so far, losing all four matches, most recently in the crushing home defeat to France, as the country faces a whitewash for the first time since 2003.
However, Warren Gatland's side have picked up three bonus points, giving them the chance to rise from the foot of the table in a must-win match against the Italians.
If the Welsh beat Italy, gain a try bonus point and prevent an Italian from losing a bonus point, they will be one point ahead of their opponents.
Should Wales win and neither side gain bonus points, the teams will be level on points, but these circumstances would see Wales win by a margin of more than seven - enough to swing the points difference in their favor.
If a win in Wales saw both sides secure a bonus point, a margin of victory of less than six points would be enough for the Italians to hold on to fifth place on points difference.
When does Six Nations 2024 end?
The final round is on Saturday, March 16 - also known as 'Super Saturday' - with all three matches taking place on the same day.
Who are the favorites to win the 2024 Six Nations?
The odds are correct on March 16
