By Matt Hardy
Only Ireland and France are in with a shout of winning the 2023 Six Nations this weekend.
It was so nearly a three-horse race going into round five but results last weekend ensured that Scotland would not be in the mix for a title. We’ve broken down who needs what to win the title.
Ireland victory
Quite simply, as long as Ireland do not lose to England in the late kick-off, they will win the Championship.
Given they are four points clear of France, a draw would be enough to ensure Ireland win the title – but of course any win would also hand Andy Farrell’s men the Grand Slam.
If Ireland lose with a bonus point, they will need France to, at worst, beat Wales without a bonus point.
If Ireland lose to England and come away with zero points, they can still win the title so long as any French win comes without a bonus point and there is not a 20-point points difference swing across the two games.
Six Nations table
Spoil le party
France must beat Wales in the second game of Super Saturday if they’re to have any chance of winning a second consecutive Six Nations campaign.
They’re four points behind so to put maximum pressure on Ireland they’ll need to win with a bonus point on Saturday afternoon in Paris.
If they can get five points and do as much as possible to undo their 20-point deficit in the points difference column of the table, they will have done all they can this weekend to give themselves a shot at glory.
If France pick up four points, they will go level with Ireland in the table and will need to rely on a huge points difference swing to ensure they’re top of the table before Ireland kick off in Dublin.
Up for grabs
In total, there are four trophies up for grabs in round five. The Championship Trophy will be awarded to either France or Ireland on Saturday evening, with the men in green also in the mix for the Triple Crown, which is awarded to the home nation who beats the other three.
Ireland and England will contest the Millennium Trophy at the Aviva Stadium while Scotland and Italy will compete at Murrayfield for the Cuttita Cup. Both of these are annual rivalry trophies.
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