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England will be looking to keep their 2010 RBS Six Nations hopes alive on Saturday, when they travel to Murrayfield to take on the Scots. England were dealt a blow two weeks ago, when Ireland triumphed over them at Twickenham, in a match where England dominated possession. Again though, England’s lack of cutting edge in all areas of the park, let them down, as the Irish, in a clinical fashion, showed England what they are missing. Every half chance was put away by the Irish, partly through speed and creativity, and partly through English defensive errors, whereas England squandered plenty of chances when they were in good attacking positions. We have yet to see the England that boss Martin Johnson had promised, a team which would run and play expansive rugby. That has not happened, with heavy criticism being aimed at Johnson, some of the senior players like Jonny Wilkinson, and the coaches.

Now it is onto the Calcutta Cup in their penultimate match. The Grand Slam chance has gone, but they can still take the championship down to the wire with a victory over the Scots. After winning their opening sequence of games against Wales and Italy, England failed to capitalise on the fact that France beat Ireland. Another defeat for the Irish would have put them out of contention, but now there is a three way race for Six Nations title, thanks to their victory at Twickenham. France of course, still dominate, and everything should go down to the wire on the final day, when England travel to Paris. England stuck with the same team that had laboured so badly against Italy, and there were not a lot of signs from the backs that things are improving. While the ball retention in the forwards was better, there were still to many mistakes at crucial times. Yes, there is an air of inexperience in the side, but players do not look to be taking on any responsibility for themselves. Whether that is down to coaching or individuals, or a mix of both is anyone’s guess at the moment.

Again, Johnson has refused to make wholesale changes to the starting fifteen. Johnson though, has called up Leicester’s young star scrum half, Ben Youngs, who will start the match at Murrayfield on the bench. This is the culmination of a rapid rise for Youngs, who was nominated for Premiership Young Player of the year last season. The scrum half position, is occupied by Danny Care at the moment, who has yet to really stamp his authority over any game. Johnson has only made one tactical change of personal to the side, with big Joe Worsley coming back into the pack, while Louis Deacon takes over from Simon Shaw who picked up an injury against the Irish. There were calls for the exciting talent of Ben Foden to start the match at full back, after making a great impact with his running instead of the kicking of Delon Armitage, but that hasn’t happened, as he start on the bench. The England camp are still looking for their finishing to be more clinical. The pressure which England have exerted over opponents during the tournament, has often looked a long way short of being translated into points.

Scotland, about which much has been made of their strong midfield, have yet to win in the Six Nations so far. Coach Andy Robinson has suffered defeats against France, Wales and Italy, and will relish nothing more than finding a way to beat England. Robinson had an unsuccessful as England manager, but can be buoyed by the fact that Scotland have beaten England in the last two encounters at Murrayfield. If a repeat of that happens, it should pretty much hand the 2010 RBS Six Nations tournament on a plate to the French. The results for the Scots may not be as harsh as they, like England, have failed to turn bouts of pressure into points, lacking a clinical edge to them. Robinson has made changes for the Calcutta Cup because of injury, after losing Mike Blair and Alasdair Dickinson though injury. Robinson has drafted Nick De Luca into the starting three quarters, while moving out Max Evans, one of Scotland’s most potentially potent attacking players onto the wing.

Scotland have yet to pick up a point, despite running Wales close at the Millennium Stadium in their second game. They have only ran in two tries in their opening three games, the lowest joint total along with Italy. This will be a passionate clash of horns at Murrayfield, with both sides desperate for points, but England will be expected to edge it in a tight, slow match.

Scotland v England BETTING STATS

Scotland: W42, D17, L67
England: W67, D17, L42

Scotland biggest winning margin: 33-6
England biggest winning margin: 43-3

Scotland average points v England: 8.56
England average points v Scotland: 11.40

2009 Six Nations Result:
England 26, Scotland 12

Match Prices:
Scotland to win: 2/1 at SportingBet
Draw: 22/1 at Bwin
England to win: 8/15 at Stan James

Hockey World Cup. One of the greatest rivalries in the sporting world will get re-ignited again on Thursday, as the first semi final of the Hockey World Cup sees the match up of Germany v England. England have had a fairly impressive World Cup campaign, winning four of their five pool matches, including victory over the much fancied Australians. The path to the final of any world cup is seldom easy, and with just two games standing between England and gold, their semi final pits them against the number one ranked team in the world. It has been a tournament full of passion, grit and determination for the English, as they have had to deal with injuries to key players, and hostile, feisty atmospheres and highly charged games.

After stretching their legs at the top of Pool B, Spain put a blemish on their group record, running out 2-0 winners. That mean that Australia had the chance to leapfrog England at the top of the pool, and they took that chance with a 2-1 win over Pakistan, which gave them the goal difference they needed, as both they and England finished on 12 points. Australia’s only defeat came against England in their opening fixture, and they remain strong. The second semi final sees Australia go up against the Netherlands, who have looked impressive during the tournament. The Dutch finished one point behind the Germans, equal on points with Korea, but their superior goal difference saw them squeeze through at the death.

Germany are Ranked number one in the World, Australia second, the Netherlands fourth and England 6th. Spain (3rd) and Korea (5th). That is the strength of the competition left in the final four. With England being the lowest ranked team left in, an appearance in the final would be a major accomplishment. They were full of confidence going into the tournament, with their aim being able to get out of the pool. They have achieved that target with some aplomb, but will need to dig deep again in order to get the better of the Germans. Germany went undefeated through their pool matches, the only points being dropped by them, coming against the Netherlands. That match ended in a close 2-2 draw. Both of the semi final matches are played on Thursday, with the culmination of the tournament, held in India, coming on Saturday.

Germany to win: 13/10 at Paddy Power
Draw: 10/3 at Ladbrokes
England to win: 8/5 at Coral

Australia to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Draw: 7/2 at William Hill
Holland to win: 10/3 at Ladbrokes

A 3-2 win over India, saw England’s men book their place in the semi finals of the World Cup of Hockey. They maintained their 100% pool record, with just one game remaining against the Spaniards, who desperately need a win to keep their dreams alive. England, ranked 6th, but who are current European Champions, have been rocked by injury, but their form throughout the tournament has been impressive. The game against India was dominated by England, in a hostile atmosphere against the host nation, defeat for which, meant that India will not reach the semi finals.

England have beaten Australia, Pakistan, India and South Africa, and a win or a draw against Spain will see them top the group. They have Australia just behind them, who could top the group if England fail to pick up a point, and that could be crucial. The Netherlands and Germany are in a tight battle for the top spot in the other pool, with Korea still in with a chance of upsetting one of them by pinching a spot. Both Holland and Germany are unbeaten after drawing 2-2 in their group encounter, but England are the only ones who have won all four of the matches so far. Either one of them in the semi finals is going to be an extraordinarily tough task, with Germany being the world’s top ranked side.

Germany have to take on New Zealand in their final match, while Holland, who top Pool A at the moment, have a tougher make or break game against Korea. England’s next opponents Spain, were shut out in a 2-0 defeat to Australia, which put the Aussies in a strong position in second place behind England. Spain need to win this last match in order to stand any chance of sneaking into the semi finals, and hope that Pakistan can pull off a surprise victory over the Aussies. Not very likely to happen, but England have a chance to keep momentum going, and continue to be one of the surprise packages of the tournament.

England to win: 4/5 at Bwin
Draw: 7/2 at Stan James
Spain to win: 31/20 at Paddy Power

Holland to win: 3/10 at Bwin
Draw: 9/2 at Bwin
Korea Republic: 21/4 at Bwin

World Rankings
1. Germany
2. Australia
3. Spain
4. Netherlands
5. Korea
6. England
7. Pakistan
8. New Zealand
11. Canada
12. India
13. South Africa
14. Argentina

England’s World Cup Hockey players are still going strong at the World Cup in India. After running out 5-2 winners over Pakistan, England now face hosts India in the pool. The victory did cost England though, as key defender Richard Martell got seriously injured when defending a penalty corner. There were fears that in the accidental collision with a Pakistan attacker, the England player had broken his ankle as he was stretchered off. Subsequent scans showed that he had both dislocated and fractured his right ankle. Pakistan scored off that penalty corner, tying the game up at 2-2. But England dug deep and recovered extremely well from the injury blow, turning up the heat in the second half.

England are looking to keep up their 100% World Cup record in the tournament so far, with impressive wins over both South Africa and Australia, who are highly fancied to take the World Cup. But England have played their way into a strong position and now sit on the brink of semi final place. One more good victory over India should see them there, with only a sterner test in the group to come against Spain. England’s next opponent India, have only picked up one with out of their three games so far, with a victory over South Africa. They go into the match on the back of a heavy 5-2 defeat to Spain.

England, who are European champions, lead the group before heading into their next match on Saturday. The Australians and the Spaniards look to be left to battle it out for second place in the group if all goes well. Australia recorded a 12-0 victory over South Africa as they bounced back with some vigour from the defeat to England. England are in Pool B of the Hockey World Cup, and in Pool A there is a close race for the top spot between Holland, Germany and Korea. But England’s semi final fate is in their own hands, and a victory over India will take them there.

England to win: 6/11 at Expekt
Draw: 15/4 at Paddy Power
India to win: 15/4 at Bwin

The hockey world cup is on going at the moment, with Britain’s men performing well (this is field hockey by the way, not ice hockey). On the weekend, they beat favourites Australia for the first time since in about 25 years, and backed it up with a tight victory over South Africa in their second pool. That all means that with those two games, England have made a 100% start to the campaign. This puts them top in a pool of six teams, with still plenty of work still be done to in order to hang to one of the top two spots which will seem through to the semi finals of the World Cup, which is being held in India.

England are currently ranked 6th in the World, with Germany being number one, closely followed by Australia. They are next in action on Thursday, when they take on Pakistan, who lost their opening match heavily, but then put in a fine display to beat the much fancied Spaniards. After such a fine start to the competition, England’s next benchmark game will come against Spain, who are ranked third in the World. England went into the competition with high hopes and failing to get out of the pool would be deemed as, well, a failure. A little bit of consistency, tied in with the little bit of flair that they have should carry them far. They have shown their ability to beat the best, and if they can keep momentum going through the group, then they should be fair bet.

England to win: 4/6 at Paddy Power
Draw: 11/4 at Expekt
Pakistan to win: 4/1 at Stan James

Hockey World Cup Results so Far:
England 3, Australia 2
England 6, South Africa 4

Remaining Pool Fixtures:
England v Pakistan, March 4th
England v India, March 6th
England v Spain, March 8th

Alastair Cook, who is leading England at the moment on the tour of Bangladesh at the moment, was dealt a blow as he was left out of the England Twenty20 Squad for the ICC Twenty20. While only the provisional squad has been named, the England opener’s name was not one of the thirty, and is something of high profile omission. This is somewhat of surprise, as Cook’s form, which was under some debate for most of 2009, has picked up dramatically, with his scoring heavily and regularly with the bat during the tour of the UAE and Bangladesh, both in Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.

England have named five newcomers to the full international Twenty20 fold, with four spinners and one batsman looking to earn spots in the team at the tournament. Bowlers Steven Finn, Peter Trego, Chris Woakes and David Wainwright have been drafted, along with another South African born batsman, Michael Lumb. Whoever makes the final 15 will be under the captaincy of England stalwart Paul Collingwood, who keeps going and going, and still delivering for his nation, in all formats of the game. Collingwood remains one of the most decidated cricketers to the England cause, never seemingly taking a break from international cricket.

Perhaps this is not as much of a knock on Cook’s confidence as it may first appear to be. To be fair he has not really excelled at the Twenty20 game, looking more of a patient player. But his form at the moment, may just have seen him turn the corner in both of the shorter formats of the game, and there will be time, if he continues his fine form, to make his mark on the international Twenty20 scene. The young players being called into the provisional squad, have been looking impressive and making strides with the England Lions, and Craig Kieswetter showed that breaking into the full England team can be done.

Someone who may be missing from the ICC Twenty20, which begins at the end of April, is Kevin Pietersen, who could be away on paternity leave, during the crucical stages of the tournament. England are in a three team group along with hosts West Indies and qualifier Ireland. England’s first match of the tournament is against Ireland on May 1st, something which former Ireland star Eoin Morgan will be looking forward too, as he continues to impress for England with the bat.

England’s tour of Bangladesh continues, with the visitors holding on to their unbeaten record against the sub-continent nation. Eoin Morgan came to the rescue in the second of three ODI’s, with a cracking 110 scored from 104 balls, which saw England home. Paul Collingwood was the stand out performer with the bat in the first match of the series, in which England started as strong favourites to win. With series now secured, England will look to head into the Test Match series against Bangladesh with a 100% record.

Bangladesh vs. England Third ODI Outright Betting
England to win: 1/4 at Boylesports
Bangladesh to win: 4/1 at Bet365

ICC World Twenty20 Outright Betting
Australia – 9/2 at Totesport
South Africa – 9/2 at SkyBet
India – 5/1 at Ladbrokes
Sri Lanka – 6/1 at Boylesports
Pakistan – 7/1 at Blue Square
West Indies – 12/1 at 888Sport
England – 12/1 at Boylesports
Bangladesh – 80/1 at Bwin
Zimbabwe – 300/1 at Victor Chandler
Ireland – 500/1 at Bet365
Afghanistan – 1000/1 at Ladbrokes

England head into the second of three one day internationals against Bangladesh, with their unbeaten record still in tact. Bangladesh fired themselves into a strong position at the start of the first ODI, with a thrashing 125 from opener Tamim Iqbal. It was a feisty start, which looked as if England might be under the cosh a bit, but once the England bowlers improved around the 10 over mark, there looked to be only one winner. Needing a target of 229 to win, Bangladesh’s bowlers never really put the England batsmen under enough pressure.

Stand in captain Alastair Cook, with Andrew Strauss resting back home, hit another fine knock. He scored regularly to reach 64 from 68 balls, and the experience of Paul Collingwood guided the England crew home with a fine 75 off 100 balls. New boy Craig Kieswetter hit a rapid 19 off 26, before being stumped. Kieswetter’s inclusion came at the expense of Joe Denly after all, and not fellow wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

There may well have been calls, and justifiable ones to include two spinners in the attack, with James Tredwell awaiting his chance at full international level. But only front line spinner Graham Swann was selected, and enjoyed the conditions in the sub-continent, taking 3-32. England used a total of seven bowlers, which may highlight the fact that there is room for improvement, especially in the front line pace attack. Still, England look strong and will have to face some more spin in the second ODI on Tuesday.

Second One Day International
England to win: 3/6 at Bwin
Bangladesh to win: 5/1 at BetFred

Series Outright
England to win: 1/66 at Totesport
Bangladesh to win: 20/1 at Bet365

England striker Wayne Rooney is hoping that the England fans will be behind John Terry on Wednesday night during the friendly against African Cup of Nations Champions, Egypt. Chelsea Captain Terry was roundly booed in his team’s defeat against Wayne Bridge’s Manchester City on Saturday, and this is the first time that he will pull on an England shirt since all of the media barrage he has faced. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by manager Fabio Capello in light of all the media surrounding Terry, choosing to hand the armband to Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand instead. Ferdinand will be missing from the match, as he was from the Carling Cup final because of injury.

The match against Egypt is just one of three that England have before the World Cup starts on June 11th, with the other two against Mexico and then Japan. Manchester United star, Rooney, was left on the bench for the start of Sunday’s Carling Cup triumph over Aston Villa, but that did not stop him making his mark again as he netted the winner with a header. There were worries that Rooney wouldn’t be fit for the friendly, and the last thing England want is to hear any news about injury their star player. England need him fit and healthy for the World Cup, and Capello has already alluded to the belief that he thinks the England star is being overworked by Alex Ferguson. The fears were over a niggling Rooney knee problem, but Rooney insists that it was because of a stomach virus, and Ferguson wanted an excuse to give him a rest. Thankfully he should be fit for Wednesday, but probably won’t play the whole match.

The race for Rooney’s strike partner hots up, with Carlton Cole and Theo Walcott being named in the squad. Walcott is a move towards getting him more experience, as he hasn’t been on top form this season, with injury problems. Spurs’ Aaron Lennon misses out through injury. While Rooney has urged England to show support for Terry, the vacant left back position, vacated by Terry’s team-mate Ashley Cole because of injury, and Wayne Bridge’s decision not to play for England, will draw the spotlight. Capello has drafted in Leighton Baines from Everton as expected, along with Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock. These are two recognised left backs, but there is also speculation that Villa’s James Milner may fill in there, but his great form in attacking roles for Villa should warrant him being used further forward.

One surprise name in the England defensive corps, was that of Ryan Shawcross, from Stoke, who would be in line for his debut if he makes an appearance. His call up game just hours after a wayward tackle broke the ankle of Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, in Stoke’s first defeat of the year. It has been Stoke’s stubborn displays which has earned Shaw cross a call up to the senior squad. The left side of midfield will also be contested, as Chelsea’s Joe Cole, who had made the spot his own, hasn’t been selected for the squad, instead Stewart Downing makes a comeback to the England fold, after nearly a year on the sidelines. Birmingham keeper Joe Hart, after a string of impressive performances, is one of three keepers alongside David James and Robert Green.

This friendly match does have some importance, as it will be the final match before Capello names his provisional squad for the World Cup on May 12th, while the final squads have to be named for FIFA on June 1. It is a big opportunity for players to stake a claim for a World Cup spot, especially with the likes of Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand missing, it could also be a chance for one of the strikers to step forward, should the worst happen, and Rooney can’t start. Egypt should not be too much of a pushover, not on the back of their performances at the African Cup of Nations, where they successfully defended their title. They looked a confident passing side, with an eye for attack, and for goal. They missed out on the 2010 World Cup, after being eliminted by Algeria in qualification decider.

England v Egypt Stats: The two sides have only met twice, and only once in competition at Italia 90.
The first time was a friendly in 1986, in Cairo. England won 4-0 with goals from Trevor Steven, own goal, Danny Wallace and Gordon Cowans. The second meeting between the two teams was at the 1990 World Cup, in Cagliari, where England won 1-0 with a goal from Mark Wright (assisted by Paul Gascoigne).

Match Prices:
England to win: 4/11 at Bet365
Draw: 4/1 at SkyBet
Egypt to win: 8/1 at Paddy Power

England Squad v Egypt:
Keepers: David James, Rob Green, Joe Hart
Defenders: Wes Brown, John Terry,  Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ryan Shawcross, Leighton Baines, Stephen Warnock.
Midfielders: James Milner, David Beckham, Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing.
Forwards: Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole.

England take on Bangladesh in the first of three one day internationals on Sunday, with the big news that South African born player, Craig Kieswetter will make his full international debut for England. The powerful young batsman has been nothing short of impressive with the bat while on tour with the England Lions against Pakistan A, and hit a marvellous 143 in a warm up match earlier this week. He is an explosively powerful player, aggressive, if a little erratic at times. But the youthful enthusiasm, could be the breath of fresh air that England need in the short format of the game.

Natural comparisons will be drawn between Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen, and the thought of them both on top form, and taking an offensive stand, is quite mouth watering. Bangladesh have never beaten England in the one day format, and England will again start as strong favourites. It will be interesting to see what happens with the line up, as Kieswetter is also a wicket keeper, which means that Matt Prior’s position is most under threat. Prior, given his chance in a warm up match, also impressed with the bat, and has been behind the stumps for England for some time now.

Kieswetter is not the only new face in the England squad, as Ajmal Shahzad and James Tredwell are also up for selection. There is no Andrew Strauss on this tour of Bangladesh, but England do not look to be short on batting options. Alastair Cook takes the mantle of captain, and has been impressive so far with the bat, and with Kieswetter coming in alongside Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Paul Collingwood and Luke Wright, England will look to field a very strong batting unit. Although the one day game is still a long way from being their forte, they will be expected to have a comfortable ride against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh v England First ODI
England to win: 1/5 at Bet365
Bangladesh to win: 9/2 at Stan James

Series Betting
England to win: 1/5 at Bwin
Drawn Series: 133/10 at BetFair
Bangladesh: 11/2 at Stan James

Here are some important RBS Six Nations Betting Stats, which can help when planning your betting strategies. This is a big weekend in the Six Nations, with three matches which are hard to call. This has the potential of being one of the most explosive weekends of the tournament so far.

2010 Results to date:
Ireland 29, Italy 11
England 30, Wales 17
Scotland 9, France 18
Wales 31, Scotland 24
France 33, Ireland 10
Italy 12, England 17

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England v Ireland Betting Stats

England to win:

Draw: 20/1 at 888Sport
Ireland to win: 20/1 at Blue Square

England have won 70 matches
Ireland have won 44 matches
There have been 8 drawn matches

Largest winning margin England: 6-46
Largest winning margin Ireland: 43-14

England average points v Ireland: 11.80
Ireland average points v England: 7.95

2009 Result: Ireland 14, England 13

===========

Wales v France Betting Stats

Wales to win: 9/4 at William Hill
Draw: 22/1 at Bet365
France to win: 4/9 at SportingBet

Wales have won 43 matches
France have won 40 matches

Largest winning margin Wales: 49-14
Largest winning margin France: 51-0

Wales average points v France: 14.74
France average points v Wales: 14.43

2009 Result: France 21, Wales 16

===========

Italy v Scotland Betting Stats

Italy to win: 15/8 at Paddy Power
Draw: 22/1 at Bwin
Scotland to win: 4/7 at Totesport

Scotland have won 10 matches
Italy have won 5 matches

Largest winning margin Italy: 17-37
Largest winning margin Scotland: 15-45
Italy average points v Scotland: 19.07
Scotland average points v Italy: 23.87

2009 Result: Scotland 26, Italy 6