Can England still win the Six Nations? What they need to claim title

Not much was expected of England ahead of the Six Nations but Steve Borthwick’s side now find themselves in a position to win the iconic rugby tournament.

A respectable performance in the opening weekend defeat to Ireland was followed by narrow wins over France and Scotland.

England just have the competition’s two worst teams in Italy and Wales to play now, with the Red Roses welcoming the former to Twickenham on Sunday.

However, despite these good results and fixtures being in their favour, they still remain outsiders to win the tournament.

Here are the permutations as to what England need to do to win their first Six Nations title since 2020.

What do England need to do to win the Six Nations?

In short, a miracle.

First things first, England must to get bonus-point wins over Italy and Wales, which will score them 20 points in the table and give them the best possible chance of beating their rivals.

On Saturday, France surprisingly thrashed Ireland 42-27 in Dublin – both a good and bad result for England.

If they do indeed indeed get to 20 points, Ireland will not be able to catch England no matter what happens in next Saturday’s match between Ireland and Italy in Rome.

However, Borthwick’s side will need help from old rivals Scotland who travel to Paris for the final match of the tournament.

If France get a bonus-point victory over Scotland, they will win the title. If they lose and England win their games, the trophy will be going to Twickenham.

Should France win but don’t get the bonus point they will finish on 20 points, meaning the title may be decided on point difference and if it is, Les Bleus will almost certainly still win.

As it stands, France’s point difference is 106, compared to Ireland on 13 and England on -3.

When is England vs Italy and how to watch on TV?

England’s Six Nations clash against Italy at Twickenham kicks-off at 3pm on Sunday, March 9.

In the UK, you can watch the match on ITV1 or live steam it on ITVX, with their coverage beginning at 2.15pm.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

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