The relentless Welsh march towards the Six Nations Grand Slam has produced ten tries in three games so far – seven of them from the rampant Shane Williams and Lee Byrne.

And assistant coach Shaun Edwards reckons the men in red should be on an additional bonus for their spirit of adventure – an extra point every time they score four tries.

The former GB Rugby League hero reckons the Six Nations should introduce the system now used in most other rugby competitions. And he was speaking BEFORE the five-try mauling of Italy that put Wales clear at the top of the table even without a bonus point.

'There's little doubt a bonus-point system would benefit adventurous teams like Wales and France'


"It could be time to tinker with the format of the Six Nations," Edwards said in The Guardian. "If bonus points were awarded for four tries and those bonus points helped settle the title, there would be no argument against a bit of adventure."

Edwards, who is also the head coach of Wasps, added: "In every other tournament, the World Cup included, bonus points are awarded - one for scoring four tries and one for a losing side which keeps the gap down to seven points. The Six Nations gives two points for a win, one for a draw - and that's that.’’

The old Five Nations tournament used to be shared if two teams finished on equal points at the top. But since 1994 the title has been decided on points difference when necessary. Edwards reckons the current system encourages teams to play safe by settling for penalties in tight situations.

"Say a team has scored a couple of tries and has a reasonable lead when, with 10 minutes to go, it is awarded a kickable penalty," he said. "The captain will signal to the posts, because he wants to widen the margin of victory. "But if bonus points were awarded... the win is safe, so hoof the ball into the corner, win the line-out, drive the rolling maul over the goal line and, with eight or nine minutes to go, there is still time to think about a fourth try."

There’s little doubt a bonus-point system would benefit adventurous teams like Wales and France. But in my opinion the tournament’s basic format is unfair anyway. Until the Six Nations is extended to include home and away fixtures, it will always be a distorted means of deciding the best international team in Europe.

This season, Wales play three games at home and two away, which in itself gives them an unfair advantage over the teams that only have two home fixtures - like England. I know they lost at home to the Welsh, but having to travel to Rome, Paris and Edinburgh put them at a disadvantage from the off. The Six Nations is a fantastic competition but the only way to decide the champions FAIRLY is to extend it to a home-and-away format, with each team playing ten matches – five at home and five away.

OK, this would create huge logistical problems, with players being seconded from club duties for twice as long each season. It would also have to be held in two or three stages because no player could be expected to perform at such a fierce level over a single period of three months or so.

It’s easy for a fan like me to argue the logic of such a format. But I realise it is highly unlikely to happen – and certainly not in these over-burdened times where fiercely-competitive league fixtures and European club competitions are enough to drain even Superman.

But don’t you think TEN Six Nations fixtures a season for each country would be quite some spectacle for rugby fans throughout Europe?