2020 Six Nations Championship Explained
| 2020 Six Nations Championship |
| Date: | 1 February – 31 October 2020 |
| Countries: | |
| Count: | 29 |
| Triple Crown: | (26th title) |
| Matches: | 15 |
| Attendance: | 727458 |
| Tries: | 74 |
| Top Point Scorer: |  Romain Ntamack (57) |
| Top Try Scorer: | Charles Ollivon (4) |
| Player Of The Tournament: | Antoine Dupont[1] |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Previous Tournament: | 2019 Six Nations Championship |
| Next Year: | 2021 |
| Next Tournament: | 2021 Six Nations Championship |
The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, and the 126th edition of the competition (including all the tournament's previous versions as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship). The tournament began on 1 February 2020, and was scheduled to conclude on 14 March; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy's penultimate match against Ireland and all three of the final weekend's matches were postponed with the intention of being rescheduled.[2] [3] It was the first time any match had been postponed since 2012, and the first time more than one match had been delayed since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001.[4] In July 2020, a revised fixture schedule was announced, with the last four games being played in October.[5] [6]
England became the first team to win the title despite losing their first game since Wales did so in 2013. It was England's 39th title overall (including shared titles), drawing them level with the record Wales set the previous year, and extended their record of 29 outright titles.[7]
Participants
Squads
See main article: 2020 Six Nations Championship squads.
Table
Table ranking rules
- Four points are awarded for a win.
- Two points are awarded for a draw.
- A bonus point is awarded to a team that scores four or more tries in a match or loses a match by seven points or fewer. If a team scores four tries in a match and loses by seven points or fewer, they are awarded both bonus points.
- Three bonus points are awarded to a team that wins all five of their matches (a Grand Slam). This ensures that a Grand Slam winning team will always top the table with a minimum of 23 points. A team that loses a single match could only achieve a maximum of 22 points – they could win four matches with four try bonus points and lose the remaining match but still win two bonus points while losing that game.
- Tiebreakers:
- If two or more teams are tied on table points, the team with the better match points difference (points scored less points conceded) is ranked higher.
- If the above tiebreaker fails to separate tied teams, the team that scores the higher number of total tries in its matches is ranked higher.
- If two or more teams remain tied for first place at the end of the championship after applying the above tiebreakers, the title will be shared between them.
Fixtures
The fixtures were announced on 20 March 2019. For the first time since 2013, no matches were scheduled on a Friday night. The final match of the tournament also returned to peak time for the first time since 2016.[8]
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Notes:- Kyle Steyn (Scotland) made his international debut.
- Fraser Brown (Scotland) earned his 50th test cap.
- With France's defeat, no team could win the Grand Slam.
- Scotland reclaimed the Auld Alliance Trophy.
- This was Scotland's 200th win in the Six Nations, including Home Nations and Five Nations tournaments.
- Scotland won back-to-back matches against France, after also defeating them in August 2019, for the first time since 1964.
- Camille Chat was named on the bench for France as hooker, but withdrew in the warm-up ahead of the game due to a hamstring injury, with Peato Mauvaka replacing him.
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Round 5
Notes:- Wales made 19 changes to the team that was selected for the original fixture on 14 March, while Scotland made 15 changes.[19] [20]
- Justin Tipuric was named in the starting XV at openside flanker, but was ruled out ahead of kick-off. James Davies replaced him in the starting team with Aaron Wainwright joining the replacements.
- Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) earned his 149th international cap (140 for Wales, 9 for the British and Irish Lions) to surpass New Zealand's Richie McCaw's record as the most capped international rugby player.
- Shane Lewis-Hughes (Wales) and Scott Steele (Scotland) made their international debuts.
- Scotland won three consecutive Six Nations matches for the first time since 1996.
- This was Scotland's first win in Wales since 2002.
- Wales finished in fifth place with one win, their worst performance since 2007.
- Wales played a home game away from the Millennium Stadium for the first time since playing Romania at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham in 2003. It was also the first Welsh international played in Llanelli since 1998 and the first Six Nations game in Llanelli since 1893, making this the first international match played at Parc y Scarlets.
- Scotland won the Doddie Weir Cup for the first time.
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Notes:- Arthur Retière (France) made his international debut.
- Cian Healy became the sixth Ireland player to earn his 100th test cap.
- France required a win by 28 points to win the championship, while Ireland needed a bonus-point win or a margin of seven points (or six if they scored at least one try). As neither side met their requirements, England won a record 29th outright title.[21] [22]
Player statistics
Most points
Most tries
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: DUPONT AND SCARRATT WIN PLAYER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS. 6 November 2020. Six Nations Rugby. 6 November 2020.
- Web site: Coronavirus: Ireland v Italy Six Nations games postponed over health concerns . BBC Sport . 26 February 2020.
- Web site: Coronavirus: England's Six Nations games against Italy postponed . BBC Sport . 5 March 2020.
- News: Six Nations: Matt Dawson & Shane Horgan remember 2001's delayed finale . BBC Sport . 6 March 2020 . 26 March 2020 .
- Web site: World Rugby announces calendar for Six Nations and autumn internationals. 22 July 2020. Irish Examiner.
- World Rugby outlines window for Six Nations conclusion. 22 July 2020. www.rte.ie.
- Web site: France 35-27 Ireland: England win Six Nations despite hosts sealing bonus-point win. 31 October 2020. BBC Sport. 10 November 2020.
- News: Fixtures announced for 2020 and 2021 Championships . Six Nations Rugby . 20 March 2019 . 20 March 2019.
- Web site: Six Nations 2020: Ireland win 19-12 against wasteful Scotland. 1 February 2020. BBC Sport. 3 February 2020.
- News: Andy . Burke . Six Nations: Scotland's Stuart Hogg apologises for 'schoolboy' error . BBC Sport . 1 February 2020 . 1 February 2020 .
- News: Paul . Eddison . Penaud out as Rattez starts for France . sixnationsrugby.com . Six Nations Rugby . 1 February 2020 . 1 February 2020 .
- Web site: Six Nations 2020: France v England team news, preview & key stats . BBC Sport . 1 February 2020.
- News: Fordyce . Tom . France 24-17 England: England lose Six Nations opener in Paris . BBC Sport . 2 February 2020.
- News: Micil . Glennon . Deegan delighted with 'amazing' debut . RTE.ie . Raidió Teilifís Éireann . 8 February 2020 . 11 February 2020 .
- News: Six Nations 2020: Wales fly-half Owen Williams out of tournament with hamstring injury . BBC Sport . 11 February 2020 . 11 February 2020 .
- News: France survive Storm Ciara, Italy comeback for Six Nations victory . France 24 . . 9 February 2020 . 9 February 2020 .
- News: Tom . Fordyce . Six Nations: England beat Wales 33-30 despite Manu Tuilagi red card . BBC Sport . 7 March 2020 . 27 October 2020 .
- News: Michael . Morrow . Six Nations 2020: Debutants among tries as Ireland beat Italy 50-17 to go top . BBC Sport . 24 October 2020 . 27 October 2020 .
- Web site: Wales v Scotland: Rhys Webb starts for hosts & WRU confirms game is on . BBC . 12 March 2020 . 29 October 2020.
- Web site: Six Nations 2020: Scotland make three changes to pack for Wales match . BBC . 12 March 2020 . 29 October 2020.
- Web site: France take win but not title as Dupont and Ntamack sparkle against Ireland. 31 October 2020. The Guardian. 10 November 2020.
- Web site: England win 2020 Six Nations title as Ireland fall to defeat in France. 31 October 2020. The Guardian. 10 November 2020.
Eddie Jones
Wayne Pivac