Six Nations - should the points table scoring system change?

If you like mathematics, statistics or bonus points, then this is the subject for you. I am lucky enough to be at Twickenham this Saturday and as the game starts I will know how many points England need to win by!

The coaches and players will also know and it is going to be interesting to see what impact this has on the game in terms of entertainment and game plans.

With help from our pundit in the Southern hemisphere, Scott Donaldson, we pose some questions.

Six Nations Round 4 was championship defining with the Welsh win over Ireland, not only keeping themselves in the hunt for the Six Nations title, but also leaving England with a shot at the title with the best points differential. 

This sets up Six Nations Round 5 for an epic final day of games with the three leading teams playing against the three bottom teams with not only victory required, but a large margin is also needed. 

Should the Six Nations retain the table scoring system with two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss or should they change to be inline with the Southern Hemisphere tournaments with bonus points for four tries and finishing within seven points but losing?

The current table scoring system makes things interesting in the Six Nations, but doesn´t encourage teams to score four tries. 

Out of the teams on six points from three wins, England has the best points differential with 37 points, Ireland 33 points and Wales 12 points. 

England hosts the toughest opponents in France, while Ireland has to win by more than four points more than England when they travel to Murrayfield to play Scotland, while Wales still has a shot at the title, but must win by 25 more points than England and 21 points more than Ireland, but that isn´t out of the question given that Italy has been handed some big losses this season. 

France still has a mathematical chance, but must beat England comfortably and hope that both Wales and Ireland lose. Who needs the complicated Southern Hemisphere system with bonus points for scoring four tries or finishing within seven points?

In  Round 4 Wales upset Ireland which was only picked by 26 percent of SuperBru tipsters, while almost everyone picked both England and France. 

Most people went for a lower margin in the Italy vs France game as they thought that Italy would put up more of a fight than losing by 29 points at home.

I must admit that some games in the Six Nations have been difficult to watch with teams often playing it safe and not spreading the ball or kicking away front football which teams in the Southern Hemisphere chasing bonus points may actually have scored tries from, but the Six Nations simple table scoring system is easy and in many seasons like this season, creates an exciting end to the competition with it easier to have teams tied on points on the table.