2022 Six Nations ‘Super Saturday’: round five fixtures, title permutations, TV, standings

1. Men’s Six Nations table and round five fixtures

After the fourth round of matches France remain on course for a Six Nations grand slam following their 13-9 victory over Wales in Cardiff. Top of the standings with 18 points from four games, Les Bleus will face England in “Le Crunch” in Paris on Super Saturday.

Ireland’s 32-15 victory over England at Twickenham means they go into the final round in second place, just two points behind the French. To have a chance of winning the championship Ireland will hope to defeat Scotland in Dublin and for England to win in Paris.

Italy put up a spirited display in their 33-22 home loss against Scotland in round four. Still without a win or any points, Italy travel to Wales for their final match on Saturday.

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Round five fixtures: Saturday 19 March

• Wales vs. Italy (2.15pm; Principality Stadium, Cardiff; BBC/S4C)
• Ireland vs. Scotland (4.45pm; Aviva Stadium, Dublin; ITV)
• France vs. England (8pm; Stade de France, Paris; ITV)

Table after round four

Graphic: twitter.com/SixNationsRugby

2. Permutations for ‘Super Saturday’: France or Ireland?

With one round of games to go there are just two teams – France and Ireland – who can win the 2022 Six Nations rugby championship.

If France beat England in Paris, they will remain unbeaten in the tournament and claim the grand slam, the BBC said. If they fail to win “it becomes more complicated”, as four points are awarded for a victory, two for a draw and there are bonus points on offer for scoring four or more tries or losing by seven points or fewer.

To “boil it down”, Ireland essentially just need to earn two more points than the French next weekend via some method, said Balls.ie. “That would be enough to lift the trophy.”

Now is the “perfect time to get out the calculators” and check all the permutations ahead of round five, said Paul Eddison of SixNationsRugby.com. Here, Eddison breaks down the title chances of both contenders.

• If France win “Le Crunch” against England the title is theirs, regardless of other results
• Ireland could take the title with a draw against Scotland, were France to lose to England without taking anything from the game
• Two losing bonus points would do it for Ireland if France come away with nothing against England. In both scenarios, Ireland would take the title on points difference
• If Ireland win without a bonus point, France could still conceivably take the title with a draw and four-try bonus point

3. Men’s Six Nations results, fixtures and TV coverage

Round one results

• Ireland 29 Wales 7
• Scotland 20 England 17
• France 37 Italy 10

Round two results

• Wales 20 Scotland 17
• France 30 Ireland 24
• Italy 0 England 33

Round three results

• Scotland 17 France 36
• England 23 Wales 19
• Ireland 57 Italy 6

Round four results

• Wales 9 France 13
• Italy 22 Scotland 33
• England 15 Ireland 32

Round five fixtures

Saturday 19 March 2022

• Wales vs. Italy (2.15pm; Principality Stadium, Cardiff; BBC/S4C)
• Ireland vs. Scotland (4.45pm; Aviva Stadium, Dublin; ITV)
• France vs. England (8pm; Stade de France, Paris; ITV)

4. Who will win the men’s Six Nations in 2022?

Pre-tournament predictions

To say France will win the Six Nations “may not be the boldest of claims”, said Alex McLeod on RugbyPass. But for all the plaudits Fabien Galthie’s men have received, “they are remarkably still yet to win any tournaments in this current World Cup cycle”.

In his “somewhat early” predictions made in November, Balls.ie’s Colmán Stanley also picked the French to be victorious in 2022. They are the “clear favourites” having dismantled New Zealand in such a commanding fashion (40-25) in November, plus they have home games against England and Ireland at the Stade de France. However, Stanley believes that five of the six teams are “very capable of beating each other on any given day” and that will make the championship “particularly interesting”.

France and Ireland are in the “best shape” going into the tournament, said Tim Sigsworth on the i news site. But Scotland, England and Wales are “not to be underestimated, even if they are not as strong on paper”. France possess a squad that is “young but teeming with undeniable talent” and Les Bleus will be a “fearsome prospect”.

France can “nail” a Six Nations grand slam, said Mark Orders on WalesOnline. They haven’t won a grand slam since 2010 but “there’s a fair chance that will change this winter”. And what about Wales? “Two wins from five games, beating Italy and Scotland in Cardiff,” he added. “Anything better would be a surprise.”

Planet Rugby has tipped Ireland to win the Triple Crown – but it won’t be enough to stop France, who are predicted to “come of age” and claim the grand slam. “Les Bleus hold all the cards with them facing their likely two closest challengers for the title, Ireland and England, in Paris.”

If Ireland preserve their away record then it could be their year, said the i news site. Under head coach Andy Farrell, Ireland have gone from “strength to strength” and now sit fourth in the world rankings. “Their 30 tournament away victories are more than any other side have managed. That record should instill them with confidence ahead of crunch trips to London and Paris.”

Paddy Power trader Niall Whitty is also tipping Ireland. “They have a knack for putting up their best international performances a year out from the World Cup, winning the Six Nations in 2018 and 2014,” he said. “Can the four-year cycle continue? Here’s hoping!”

5. Men’s Six Nations squads

England squad

• Head coach: Eddie Jones
• Captain: Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
• Forwards: Alfie Barbeary (Wasps), Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears), Will Stuart (Bath Rugby), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
• Backs: Mark Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Orlando Bailey (Bath Rugby), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish), Max Malins (Saracens), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Elliot Daly (Saracens)

France squad

• Head coach: Fabien Galthie
• Captain: Antoine Dupont
• Forwards: Gregory Alldritt, Uini Atonio, Cyril Baille, Demba Bamba, Gaetan Barlot, Daniel Bibi Biziwu, Dylan Cretin, Francois Cros, Ibrahim Diallo, Thibaud Flament, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Mohamed Haouas, Anthony Jelonch, Bernard Le Roux, Sekou Macalou, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Yoan Tanga, Romain Taofifenua, Florent Vanverberghe, Florian Verhaeghe, Paul Willemse, Cameron Woki
• Backs: Leo Berdeu, Baptiste Couilloud, Jonathan Danty, Brice Dulin, Antoine Dupont, Jules Favre, Antoine Hastoy, Melvyn Jaminet, Matthis Lebel, Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, Romain Ntamack, Damian Penaud, Thomas Ramos, Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa, Tani Vili, Gabin Villiere

Ireland squad

• Head coach: Andy Farrell
• Captain: Johnny Sexton
• Forwards: Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University), Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers), Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne), Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere), Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster), Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf), Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf), Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy), Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians), Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution), Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch), Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD), James Ryan (Leinster/UCD), Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne), Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge), Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena), Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)
• Backs: Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen), Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf), Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon), Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen), Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster), Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster), Mack Hansen (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers), James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge), Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD), Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College), Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge), Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen), Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD), Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College)

Italy squad

• Head coach: Kieran Crowley
• Captain: Michele Lamaro
• Forwards: Pietro Ceccarelli, Danilo Fischetti, Ivan Nemer, Tiziano Pasquali, Cherif Traore, Giosuè Zilocchi, Epalahame Faiva, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Giacomo Nicotera, Niccolò Cannone, Marco Fuser, Federico Ruzza, David Sisi, Toa Halafihi, Michele Lamaro, Sebastian Negri, Giovanni Pettinelli, Braam Steyn, Manuel Zuliani
• Backs: Callum Braley, Alessandro Fusco, Stephen Varney, Giacomo Da Re, Paolo Garbisi, Leonardo Marin, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Marco Zanon, Pierre Bruno, Montanna Ioane, Tommaso Menoncello, Federico Mori, Edoardo Padovani

Scotland squad

• Head coach: Gregor Townsend
• Captain: Stuart Hogg
• Forwards: Ewan Ashman, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Bhatti, Magnus Bradbury, Andy Christie, Scott Cummings, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray, Nick Haining, Jamie Hodgson, Stuart McInally, WP Nel, Jamie Ritchie, Pierre Schoeman, Javan Sebastian, Sam Skinner, Rory Sutherland, George Turner, Hamish Watson
• Backs: Mark Bennett, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Stuart Hogg, Rory Hutchinson, Sam Johnson, Blair Kinghorn, Rufus McLean, Ali Price, Cameron Redpath, Kyle Rowe, Finn Russell, Kyle Steyn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Ben Vellacott, Ben White

Wales squad

• Head coach: Wayne Pivac
• Captain: Dan Biggar
• Forwards: Rhys Carre (Cardiff), Wyn Jones (Scarlets), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Bradley Roberts (Ulster), Leon Brown (Dragons), Tomas Francis (Ospreys), Dillon Lewis (Cardiff), Adam Beard (Ospreys, vice-captain), Ben Carter (Dragons), Seb Davies (Cardiff), Will Rowlands (Dragons), Christ Tshiunza (Exeter Chiefs), Taine Basham (Dragons), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Dragons), James Ratti (Cardiff), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
• Backs: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Kieran Hardy (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff), Gareth Anscombe (Ospreys), Dan Biggar (Northampton, captain), Rhys Priestland (Cardiff), Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Willis Halaholo (Cardiff), Nick Tompkins (Saracens), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Josh Adams (Cardiff), Alex Cuthbert (Ospreys), Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester), Johnny McNicholl (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets)

6. Women’s Six Nations fixtures

Round one

Saturday 26 March 2022

• Scotland vs. England (12pm; The DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh)
• Ireland vs. Wales (4.45pm; RDS Arena, Dublin)

Sunday 27 March 2022

• France vs. Italy (3pm; Stade des Alpes, Grenoble)

Round two

Saturday 2 April 2022

• France vs. Ireland (2.15pm; Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse)
• Wales vs. Scotland (4.45pm; Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff)

Sunday 3 April 2022

• Italy vs. England (3pm; Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma)

Round three

Saturday 9 April 2022

• England vs. Wales (4.45pm; Kingsholm, Gloucester)

Sunday 10 April 2022

• Scotland vs. France (1pm; Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow)
• Ireland vs. Italy (5pm; Musgrave Park, Cork)

Round four

Friday 22 April 2022

• Wales vs. France (8pm; Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff)

Saturday 23 April 2022

• Italy vs. Scotland (7.20pm; Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma)

Sunday 24 April 2022

• England vs. Ireland (12pm; Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, Leicester)

Round five

Saturday 30 April 2022

• Wales vs. Italy (12pm; Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff)
• France vs. England (2.15pm; Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne)
• Ireland vs. Scotland (8pm; Kingspan Stadium, Belfast)