Ireland need to beat England to claim the title

Ireland can win the Six Nations this weekend and all they have to do is beat England at home with a bonus-point. Not the easiest of tasks but with both nations’ form, it will be Ireland who head into the game as favourites.

Andy Farrell’s team have so far dispatched of France, Italy and Wales. England, meanwhile, have beaten Italy and Wales but fell short against Scotland.

Read more: The last time a team won back-to-back Grand Slams 

If Ireland win this weekend and bag the title they won’t want to stop there. The team are aiming to become the first team in the Six Nations era to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles. A win on Saturday would mean only Scotland would stand in the team’s way of history.

Ireland have also received a boost for this weekend’s match as Hugo Keenan has recovered from injury. The full-back has slotted straight back into the starting team.

There are some other permutations on how Ireland win the title this weekend, read them below.

How Ireland can win the Six Nations: What are the permutations?

There are a few ways Ireland can win the Six Nations. As previously mentioned, Farrell’s side could sew up the title this weekend. However, they may have to wait until the final round. There are also situations where the winners of the trophy could be another nation.

Here are the permutations for the title as things stand:

  • If Ireland beat England with a bonus-point they will win the trophy this weekend. This is because, with or without a bonus-point, Ireland would be out of reach on points of all the other nations.
  • If Ireland beat England without a bonus-point and Scotland beat Italy with a bonus-point then the title will be decided on the final day. This is because if Scotland beat Ireland with a bonus-point in the final round the title would be decided on points difference.
  • If Ireland beat England without a bonus-point and Scotland beat Italy without a bonus-point then Ireland win the title this weekend.
  • If Ireland lose to England it would take the title race down to the final day, with England, Scotland and France all in the mix to win the title depending on this weekend’s results.

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