The two bonuses answer different questions
The try bonus concerns how many tries the team scored. The losing bonus concerns the final score margin. Neither is a second attempt to declare the match a draw. A side can lose on the scoreboard while satisfying both standings conditions at the same time.
When recording a result, keep the match points scored on the field separate from the championship points entered in the table. A late try can affect several pieces of that record, and a subsequent conversion can affect the final margin. The official final score, rather than a screenshot taken before play ends, is the relevant reference.
A four-try bonus is not four tries more
The published Six Nations criterion is four tries or more by the team itself. It does not require a three-try or four-try advantage over the opponent. Rugby competitions can choose different bonus structures, so importing a club competition’s current rule can produce a wrong interpretation here.
A simple viewing worksheet can list each side’s tries and the final score gap in separate columns. That preserves the two facts required by these bonuses without assuming the team that lost must receive zero. It also makes clear why two losing teams in different matches can receive different table returns.
Match outcome still matters
The normal win award is four championship points, increased to five by the try bonus. A draw awards two each, with an additional try bonus where earned. Two points in the standings therefore does not reveal the match outcome without its underlying result.
The official men’s rules were read on 4 November 2026. They also contain a separate Grand Slam award and ranking tiebreaks, which should not be confused with the two match-level losing bonuses. Consult the final organiser’s table when assessing an actual campaign rather than reconstructing it from an incomplete highlights sequence.