A new year, a new Six Nations. The annual rugby showcase returned with a bang on Saturday as Scotland defeated Ireland at Murrayfield to record their first opening day victory in 11 years.

But that wasn’t the only novelty.

This year the bonus points system, the same used in the Pro12 and the World Cup to name just two, is being trialled in the Six Nations in an attempt to encourage more entertaining, attacking rugby.

The format is very simple, despite broadcasters’ best efforts to over-complicate it at the weekend.

Teams will get four points for a win, two for a draw and then an extra one for scoring four or more tries and/or for losing by seven points or fewer.

Week one offered a glimpse of the difference it will make to the final league table, as both France and Ireland secured losing bonuses that lifted them ahead of Italy in the table - despite suffering the same negative result.

With no teams managing to secure a try-scoring bonus, although Scotland, Ireland and Wales came close with three tries apiece, the top three are ordered in the old-fashioned way by points difference.

But what difference would the bonus points system have made if it was applied to the previous five editions of the Six Nations?

Scotland, for a start, would have racked up an extra 11 points – ten losing bonuses and one try-scoring bonus.

Although those extra points would not have altered the Scots’ final position in the table in any of the last five championships, coming away from a gut-wrenching, narrow defeat with something to show for it would likely have offered some consolation to players and fans alike.

The only Championship table from the last five years that would change if you applied the bonus points system to results is 2013, when England would have won the title ahead of Wales with the format in place.

Four years ago, the Six Nations ended with a Welsh victory courtesy of their superior points difference, so often the decisive factor in the old system.

But had bonus points been in use, England would have been crowned champions courtesy of a try-scoring bonus point accrued in an opening day 38-18 win over Scotland.

Italy would also have come off worse that year, with Ireland finishing fourth ahead of them on points difference having gathered three losing bonuses – robbing the Azzurri of one of their highest Six Nations finishes.

Despite there being limited change to the outcome of the last few tournaments when bonus points are applied to results, there is plenty of reason to believe it could lead to some more swashbuckling efforts this year from teams looking to gain an advantage over their rivals.

There have been 19 occasions in the last five Six Nations Championships in which a team has finished the match having scored three tries.

With the incentive of an extra point on offer for refusing to settle for a job well done and instead go full throttle for another try, we may well have seen more entertaining finales to those matches.

This was evident on Sunday during the climax of Wales’ 33-7 win over Italy in Rome. The Welsh were home and dry, but the knowledge that gaining a try-scoring bonus could be crucial further down the line led to a frantic finish as the Rob Howley’s side went in search of a fourth.

With try-scoring, attacking rugby being rewarded and more to play for in one-sided games, the introduction of the bonus points system could pave the way for one of the most entertaining tournaments in years - England fans will only be wishing it had come sooner.

Glasgow Times:

Glasgow Times: