Supercomputer predicts Six Nations final table ahead of tournament opener and there’s an overwhelming favourite

THIS year’s Six Nations is set to kick off tomorrow night when France take on holders Ireland in Marseille.

Andy Farrell‘s side will be determined to defend their crown, while the French will be aiming to lay down a marker in a game that could have huge implications on who wins the tournament.

PA

Ireland achieved a historic grand slam last year[/caption]

AFP

France are ready to face Ireland at Stade Velodrome[/caption]

The Times

Jamie George will skipper England in the Six Nations[/caption]

England, meanwhile, will be looking to end their four-year Six Nations drought.

While Scotland may thwart them yet again, aiming for their fourth Calcutta Cup triumph in a row.

Italy face an uphill battle to avoid yet another wooden spoon.

And Wales will still be reeling from Louis Rees Zammit’s shock decision to quit rugby for a shot at the NFL.

With the tournament about to kick off, boffins and brainiacs over at Grosvenor Sport have fired up the supercomputer to predict the outcome.

After crunching the numbers, their mystic machine has overwhelmingly picked Ireland to retain the title – giving them a 61.5 per cent chance of winning the tournament.

Farrell’s men are then said to have a 26.4 per cent likelihood of coming second, 10.4 per cent third, 1.5 per cent fourth and just 0.2 per cent fifth.

Unlike the other five teams, they are given a ZERO per cent chance of finishing bottom of the pile.

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France are the second-favourites to win the tournament, given a 31.5 per cent shot.

The supercomputer largely views it as a two-horse race, with England having just a 5.2 per cent chance of winning it.

Scotland are at 1.4 per cent, Wales 0.4 per cent and Italy at a flat zero.

With Ireland having no chance of being left with the wooden spoon, France are said to possess a similarly tiny 0.4 per cent likelihood of coming last.

England are at two per cent for the wooden spoon, Scotland a 4.4 per cent chance and Wales 9.2 per cent.

This means that Italy have a resounding 84 per cent likelihood of a ninth last-placed finish in a row.

The supercomputer reckons that there is a 49.8 per cent chance that nobody achieves a historic grand slam this year.

Ireland are unsurprisingly deemed most likely at 30.5 per cent, with France at 15.6 per cent.

England have a three per cent shot and Scotland one per cent.

Wales possess the tiniest 0.01 per cent chance at an unlikely grand slam, with Italy at zero.