HURRAH. It’s February and the Six Nations is about to kick off this afternoon bringing joy to millions of rugby union fans as they dream of grand slams, triple crowns and avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon.

The traditional format gets a revamp this year which could well affect the final outcome, with bonus points to be awarded for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Any side scoring four tries will get a bonus point, as will a losing team who get within seven points of the winners, with a special three-point bonus for winning all five matches and the grand slam.