Rugby bonus points reward the wrong thing — a defensive shutout should count for more

The four-try bonus point rewards running up the score against tired defenses in the last ten minutes. Meanwhile a team that produces a genuine defensive masterclass, grinding out a low-scoring win against a better side, gets nothing extra for it. Defense is a skill and a spectacle in its own right. A bonus system that only ever pays for attacking volume tells young players and coaches that one half of the game matters and the other doesn't. Reward the shutout, or at least the heroic goal-line stand, and you get a richer sport. The Rugby Site's bonus-point breakdown covers how often bonus points swing a table.