rugby union

Italy v Ireland may not exactly be the most exciting of fixtures on the opening weekend of the 2011 RBS Six Nations, but this is a pretty interesting one to watch. Ireland, for all their great presence in the Six Nations, have been slipping back a little this year. They don’t come into the tournament in any great form themselves, losing six test matches on the bounce, including a shocker against Scotland in the final match of last year’s tournament. You always expect Ireland to give a tough match to any opponent, and with the World Cup coming up this year, you really expect them to be strong. However, they are just the opposite at the moment, they are weakened (not helped by injuries) and are looking to find a way to bounce back. That all sounds doom and gloom for the Irish, and while they are a bit short on confidence, clearly, they will probably still challenge for the Six Nations title, and they have been handed a good start. Even though it is an away match, they should be able to win this comfortably and get some momentum going. Even during the matches which they did win in the autumn against Argentina and Samoa, they weren’t their usual explosive and dominant selves and it raises a big question mark over their ability to win the Six Nations this year. There seems to have been a shift of power back to England, for dominance in the home nations, even down to club level, and all of a sudden, the golden generation of Irish rugby looks to have come to and end. As sad as it is, Declan Kidney can ill afford any nostalgia, and needs to get fresh faces into the team. This is a must win game in Rome, and if the unthinkable were to happen and Ireland lost, you would really have no idea where they would go from there. Kidney would know where to go, and that is probably out of the door.

Ireland have been hit with the projected loss of Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe who are among seven potential starters ruled out of the Italy match, so they won’t be at full strength. The usual qualities of Ireland are just lacking a bit at the moment, perhaps cohesion and confidence, and they look a shadow of the team which won the Grand Slam just a couple of years ago. That sound efficiency in both attack and defence, that strong stepping up into the line, simply isn’t there, and the Irish will have to work a lot harder to their rewards this year, as opposed to relying on their inherent talent and teamwork. It’s not all as bad as it seems though, as they can still field plenty of talent with the likes of Brian O’Driscoll pulling the strings, and they have been dealt a huge helping hand with the fixture list. They take on France and England at home, the other two main contenders for the Six Nations title, and wins in those matches (against who they have done well in recent times) and they will be in the hunt. They don’t look quite so certain as they should be on the road, but at least the trip to Italy is a good way to start their campaign. They should find the going relatively easy against the Italians, who are still trying to hone that ideal mix of veteran and youthful talent, and this really could be an important game in the context of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. It as game in which they can not only win points, but perhaps more importantly, confidence. The way through the Italians will be by keeping the ball in hand through the back, and avoiding too much contact up front, where the hosts will be a lot stronger.

In fact, Italy have a great front line, full of pace and power, and no doubt, they will enjoy patches of the Six Nations where they are getting on top of the opposition. The problem with the Italians is of course, consistency and stamina, and it is rare that you will see them last the full eighty minutes in playing an entirely solid game. They do play with a lot of heart though, and it is indicative of their standing in the Six Nations, that the only teams they have beaten is Wales and Scotland. You have to ask yourself whether you can see Nick Mallett’s Italy winning two games out of their five to try and avoid the wooden spoon. It looks very unrealistic, even though they are steadily improving. They have thrown young 20 year old Edoardo Gori in at scrum half, who is something of a prodigious talent, supposed to mature into one of the best in his position in Europe. This is a big stage for him, and there are some good young Italian players coming through the ranks. That is not going to help them too much in this campaign, but they really need to get experience and build for the future. They have always been gutsy, and not afraid to have a go, but they should have a hard time breaking down the Irish defence really. The Italians, it must be said, do look very good up front, and the more they keep the ball there, and keep the game tight, the better off they will be in the long run. By tiring the Irish out, that is the only way they are going to win this game. Struggled to beat Fiji in the Autumn, and while this game against Ireland may get away from them, there is definitely something to build upon.

A look at the stats sees Ireland with a massive advantage in the head to record. In all matches between the two sides, Italy have won just three, while Ireland have won 15 of their 18 matches. That’s a whopping 83% success rate against the Italians. In terms of current runs of form in the fixture, Italy have lost fourteen in a row to Ireland, and this is why this match should be in the bank for the visitors. The largest winning margin for Ireland over Italy was a 61-6 thumping, while Italy’s biggest success was a 37-22 triumph. The average points scored though really tells the tale. Italy have averaged just under 18 points per match against the Irish, while Ireland have averaged 33 points per match in the fixture. The total points are almost double in favour of Ireland, and while the Irish aren’t in great form at the moment, they should play this out to a comfortable victory. No reason to expect anything else.

Last Year’s Result: Ireland 23, Italy 11
Ireland Last Year’s Six Nations Finishing Position: 2nd
Italy Last Year’s Six Nations Finishing Position: 6th

Italy to win: 11/2 at Boylesports
Draw: 33/1 at Bet365
Ireland to win: 3/19 at Bwin

It is less than a week now before the 2001 RBS Six Nations betting gets underway, with the Friday night lights shining down at the Millennium Stadium as England head across the border to face Wales. England are favourites in the betting to take the Six Nations crown this year, and that is fair enough, considering their much improved performances over the autumn, which finally saw them cut loose a little bit, and develop something of an attacking edge. It was not prolific, there are definitely still kinks to work out of the master plan, but this Six Nations is huge. The teams need to be ready, as this will provide those all important competitive matches ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup. So with the fixture list drawn for the opening weekend, what can we expect from the combatants. Well, England are standing out front with the online bookmakers and in all likelihood, none of the teams look good enough to complete the Grand Slam. England still have their faults, so do Ireland. France will always be a threat, but even they have their weaknesses at the moment. Really the tournament is wide open, and you have to have a look at those away fixtures. England have to be looked at as the favourites, they are improving where the other nations seem to be stuttering just a bit. Therefore they will rightly be front runners, but this is going to be a close, hard fought tournament.

RBS Six Nations Fixtures 2011

Friday, 04 February 2011
Wales v England

Saturday, 05 February 2011
France v Scotland, Italy v Ireland

Saturday, 12 February 2011
England v Italy, Scotland v Wales

Sunday, 13 February 2011
Ireland v France

Saturday, 26 February 2011
England v France, Italy v Wales

Sunday, 27 February 2011
Scotland v Ireland

Saturday, 12 March 2011
Italy v France, Wales v Ireland

Sunday, 13 March 2011
England v Scotland

Saturday, 19 March 2011
France v Wales, Ireland v England, Scotland v Italy

2011 RBS Six Nations Betting Tips

So where to go with your betting? The first market in which you want to look, is the Six Nations Grand Slam betting odds. You can use a bit of reverse betting here, and pick No Grand Slam, which will pay out at 4/6 at Paddy Power. That is the favourite in this market and really makes a sound bet. It all least should guarantee some return and makes a pretty good Six Nations betting tip. If you want to push the boat out on this market, then England are the favourite nation to do the Grand Slam, but best priced at 11/2 at Totesport, you can that it really isn’t expected. What about the Triple Crown between the home nations? Well, again you can picked a healthy 15/8 at Paddy Power for No Winner in this market, and again England are the only team who look to have a chance at pulling it off, and they are 3/1 at Totesport to win the Triple Crown. The away matches against Ireland and Wales may scupper that dream. Italy are 2/5 favourites at BetFred to finish bottom, and that should pretty much be a banker. As for the winner market, well here are the outright odds along with previews for the hopes of each nation:

England: 2/1 at Totesport

Still in that mould of potential more than being able to deliver. They should win their home matches here at the Six Nations, but there are still question marks over them, enough to warrant looking at them losing their away matches (against Wales and Ireland). England did develop more of a running game and took the Aussies and the Kiwis on when they came over in November. England still fell short against the All Blacks, and were pretty much mailed by the South Africans as well. As for all of the hype about England being a much better team than they have been for some time, well, that probably can’t be argued with. They need to find improvement from their third place finish last year, and hopefully the Six Nations will be the perfect testing ground for the team to gel together even more, and work out the flaws which are still in the team. The midfield is far from perfect defensively and with Captain Lewis Moody out, manager Martin Johnson probably won’t be able to select his preferred starting fifteen. Moody’s partner in the back row Tom Croft will also miss the Six Nations, both big blows. But Johnson has also lost Courtney Lawes, which is perhaps one of the big elements missing from the pack, as the rampaging Lawes looked mightily impressive in the autumn internationals. Those are England’s two most mobile forwards, and that could have a major impact on how they play. Will hey go back to a static, set piece, territorial game? England will be without Delon Armitage, who has picked up an 8 week ban. But what England managed to do over the autumn, was to finally bring a bit of flair into the side, and that is in the shape of Ben Foden from Full Back, Ben Youngs and Chris Ashton, who is an incredibly talented and exciting young winger. England simply are not going to win the Grand Slam, the opposition, who always like to give the English a hard time, will make sure of that. The final match of the campaign in Ireland, really looks as if it will be the make or break one, and with having lost on all three of their last visits to Wales, England are not guaranteed of anything. They need to find the balance between the new found running game, and holding shape in defence. They have a big chance at winning the Six Nations with three home games, but they do still carry a very poor away record of late, and that will be the dampener on the whole Grand Slam party. Well worth a punt, but simply not consistent, or refined enough as a unit to win all of their matches.

Ireland: 7/2 at Stan James

Not quite sure what has happened to the Irish really. Two years ago they were rampaging their way to the Grand Slam, but now they are struggling for victories, and a bit soft in the centre. There is a proud rugby tradition in Ireland, but the balance of power seems to have shifted back in favour of England to be honest, particularly at club level. The fixtures have been kind to them this year, as they get home advantage for their main rivals for the Six Nations title, France and England. Ireland won a couple of games in the Autumn, but there is something from missing from them, that spark that has made them one of the strongest forces in the Six Nations. Something is not right, as it is not with England, but England seem to be going forward, while Ireland seem to be looking to stop the slide backwards. There is still quality in the side, like Brian O’Driscoll, but the best days of the golden generation of Irish rugby has probably gone, and they need to take stock and rebuild. A bad campaign here could mean the end for coach Declan Kidney, and while his team may be past their best, he has to get the young blood in there now to work alongside the experienced heads. They may be without Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble though because of injury. They do have a good record at home against England and France, so they will still be hopeful of gunning for the Six Nations. It is unlikely that they are going to win the Grand Slam anytime soon, but those two home matches will be crucial to their overall performance. The Irish have had their struggles on the road, just like England, and lost to Scotland last year in a shocker.

France: 13/5 at Victor Chandler

What has happened to Ireland? What has happened to France? They were awesome in last year’s Six Nations, ball retention, running, forward power, defense, there was a lot to be admired about them. The wheels rapidly fell off though in the autumn, including an embarrassingly heavy defeat against Australia, by a score of 59-16. The French simply had no fight in them, and their defence is completely in tatters at the moment. They will concede tries in the Six Nations, more so than many will expect them too. The key games for them this year will be the visits to England and Ireland, so they don’t have a very friendly fixture list awaiting them. The French will still be unpredictable, and you never know, coach Marc Lievremont may well put out a side which makes a clean sweep of the Six Nations. That is just a far fetched example of how unpredictable the French could be. For your Six Nations betting, one of the most crucial factors is the fixture list. They are not at their best, but should still win matches and be close in the running for the Six Nations title. They always make an exciting World Cup side, but they need to step up from where they were in the Autumn. They looked incredibly short on confidence for some reason, and it does not take too much to fracture the spirit of the French. They can be got at in the packs this year, and will lose games. Most likely those crucial away ones.

Scotland: 16/1 at  Bet365

Well, they have a new captain. Alastair Kellock, after leading Scotland through the autumn internationals, keeps his job, and will try and give them hope of better things to come. Coach Andy Robinson really has done a fantastic job with them, and they are the most in form team of all the competitors going into the 2011 Six Nations. That’s right, after beating Ireland in the last round of the 2010 Six Nations, they had a great rest of the year. You may remember them beating Australia. You may remember them beating South Africa as well. In fact, the only blot on their copy book in the last six Test Matches, was a thrashing dealt out by the All Blacks, which, all things considered, is nothing to be ashamed of. Andy Robinson has made Scotland very hard to beat. No, they do not have the flair, or quality of personnel that the likes of France and England can call upon, but they have a great team ethic and spirit, which the other nations could be envious of. As for the Six Nations in 2011, well, Scotland aren’t going to win it. They are pencilled in again as one of the runners for the Wooden Spoon, perhaps harshly, given the positive strides forward which they have taken. Have a great chance to take out Italy and Wales up at Murrayfield, and will probably rattle the Irish again. However, their away trips may just break their resolve, as they have to go to Twickenham and to the Stade Francais, and the Scots haven’t won at either of those places in the last five matches at each venue. You really should see a much improved Scottish side, and one that should pick up a couple of victories at least. They should beat Wales and Italy, the crucial one should be against the Irish really, a match which could move them well clear of the bottom (if you are writing off the away games as defeats).

Wales: 15/2 at SportingBet

The Welsh will be chomping at the bit to get their teeth into the improving England at the Millennium Stadium in the first match of their campaign. Coach Warren Gatland needs to pull some kind of miracle out of his hat, if he is to keep the Welsh fans happy. They are on a run of seven straight defeats, and they need to turn to their great record against England to give them some confidence ahead of the rest of the Six Nations campaign. That match will probably make or break the Welsh to be honest. If they can eek out a fourth consecutive win over England at the Millennium Stadium, then they will set themselves up well. A defeat, and they will be wondering where the next win is coming from, and that is because it will be a long way to fall after getting so hyped up against the auld enemy. The problems for Wales really lie in their defensive frailties. They just have not got any staying power, and have no clue as to how to see out a game. They blew some strong leads during 2010, and what really set the Welsh fans groaning was an absolute dire performance in which they could only draw with Fiji. It was that bad. They have lost Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones, which will weaken their front line, the last thing they want when trying to take on the might of England’s front row. Suddenly Wales find themselves behind Scotland in the pecking order, and they won’t be happy with that. There are winnable games, one against Italy (in Rome) and perhaps their only other best chance is a spirited rousing affair against the Irish at the Millennium Stadium, because Ireland haven’t got a great record there. There is no poster boy Gavin Henson to add a spark in the three quarters, there is a little indecision as to how Wales will actually line up at the back, with James Hook, Lee Byrne, Stephen Jones and Jamie Roberts all looking to hold their favoured places down. However, when Wales start tossing the ball around in the backs, they look a threat. They haven’t got the defensive power to back it up, and have a weak front row in the scrum. Wales are a long way from their Grand Slam winning year of 2008, and may well find themselves scrapping it out with Italy for the wooden spoon, although only in terms of finishing fifth, as they aren’t going to be worse than the Italians.

Italy: 250/1 at Paddy Power

Well, they have still really to make an impact since joining the Six Nations, and again they will be favourites to finish last. The Italians do have a good crop of young players coming through though, and that should finally give them some good hope for the years ahead. They look to be on the right track finally, but they need time and experience to really step up. It is hard to picture the Italians going out and winning two matches in the campaign this year, but there are a couple of matches which they could be targeting. First of all they get to face Wales in Rome, and if Wales are having one of their off days, their defensive is poor enough to be rattled by the Italians. The strength of the Italians will be in their front row actually, and this is where they could get into teams and perhaps cause an upset. They are not going out looking to be world beaters at all, they seem to understand that this is an ongoing process. The only other team that Italy have beaten in the Six Nation apart from Wales is Scotland. But Italy face Scotland at Murrayfield, and you really don’t bank on Italy going away and picking up a victory. It would be hard to see them doing that, even if Scotland weren’t the much improved side that they are at the moment. With tough trips to France, England and Scotland, the Italians are going to come up short again. Hopefully they won’t just be the whipping boys, and some fairly solid performances in the autumn internationals suggest that they are going to get better over time.

England v South Africa Betting Odds
England to win: 1/2 at Paddy Power
Draw: 22/1 at Unibet
South Africa: 2/1 at Bet365

Online Bookmaker Promotion: SportingBet are running Rugby Refunds for the weekend. If the handicap tie is the winning selection for any of the Autumn Internationals, then SportingBet will refund your losing bet as a free bet, right up to the value of £25! So, have a bet on any Handicap Prices for any of this weekend’s international rugby matches, and you’ll get a stake refund if the Handicap Tie is the winning selection. England are -6 Handicap for a price of Evens at SportingBet. There is also still time to get a free £50 bet when you open a new account. This is a great sign up bonus, worth double the regular amount of £25 until the end of November, so get in quick!

England are looking for the same side which brought them a record victory over Australia a fortnight ago, to bring an inspiring win over South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday. The match closes out the November series of games for England, and a victory would give England their third win in a row. After starting off with a defeat against the All Blacks, England responded well to beat Australia in emphatic fashion. Last weekend they had to grind out a result against Samoa, which they did with a 26-13 scoreline, after coach Martin Johnson had rang the changes. But Johnson now goes back to the same fifteen which put Australia to the sword. All of sudden there is more optimism surrounding England than there has been for some time. A win over the Springboks would really cap that off, but of course, the side which beat them in the last World Cup Final are never a push over. Back into the side come Lewis Moody, Mike Tindall moves back into the centre, while up front Tom Croft and Dan Cole regain their starting places. Scrum half Ben Youngs will need to find the same spark of creativity that he had against Australia, but lost against Samoa.

England have been more expansive, and Johnson is finally delivering on his word that England will produce more attacking rugby. A lot of the changes have to be down to the people that Johnson are putting on the pitch in the first place, players like Chris Ashton and fullback Ben Foden. England are no where near as being genuine World Cup 2011 challengers as the coaching staff and fans would really like, but this November has seen a significant shift forward for England. However, as displayed in the game against Samoa last weekend, there is one big difference between England and the best teams in the world. That is finishing power. Having that clinical ruthless edge to get over the try line with a higher percentage of attacks. That is still letting England down, but at least they are going forward with some kind of conviction. Maybe the rest will all fall into place.

South Africa are not as strong as they have been for some time now. This has been a tough year for them, completely being outplayed in the tri-nations, while suffering defeat at the hands of the Scottish last weekend. However, the SpringBoks always raise their game against England, and this will probably be the most physical and bruising encounter of the four matches England will have played this November. South Africa are currently on a six match winning streak against England. But England do have the momentum going into the match this time however, and will be favourite to beat an out of sort SpringBoks side. What the game will be though, is intense. South Africa are big side up front, and they are experienced. So they may not be on the best form, but they are still a handful. They still beat Ireland, who are arguably, still the best of the home nations. There will also be the factor of wounded pride. The SpringBoks will be wanting to shake that shock defeat against the Scots out of the system, and there will be no better way to forget it, than by beating England at Twickenham. South Africa go with Ruan Pienaar at scrum half for this one.

England will face a tougher battle up front than they did against New Zealand, Australia and Samoa. The South Africa pack is a wily one, and will use that area of the game to disrupt England. The SpringBoks have the power there to drive England back, and while England do have the more mobile and more dynamic pack, they may just have to double their physical efforts to secure and win ball against a rampaging back of SpringBoks. For your rugby betting, you would expect that if England can weather any early storm by the SpringBoks, who want to take their frustrations of last weekend’s result out on the England pack, then the home side should have enough to win. England have the confidence and that counts for a lot, but they need to contain the power that is in the South Africa pack. If England use quick ball like they did against Australia and start running the lines better, then there is no reason why England cannot finish with three wins out of four in these November tests. Look for Mark Cueto to end his barren spell with no tries, he has a good record against South Africa.

England:
Backs: B Foden, C Ashton, M Tindall, S Hape, M Cueto; T Flood, B Youngs
Forwards: A Sheridan, D Hartley, D Cole, C Lawes, T Palmer, T Croft, L Moody, N Easter.
Replacements: S Thompson, D Wilson, S Shaw, H Fourie, D Care, C Hodgson, M Banahan.

England v South Africa Stats
Games Played 31
England wins: 12
South Africa wins: 18
Draws: 1

Largest Points for England v SA: 53 (53-3)
Largest Points for South Africa v ENG: 58 (58-10)

Largest winning margin for England v SA: 53-3
Largest winning margin for South Africa v ENG: 58-10

Average points for England v SA: 15.48
Average points for South Africa v ENG: 20.6

Online Bookmaker SportingBet are running a good Refund offer on the Rugby Internationals taking place on the weekend. This is actually a Handicap Tie Refund offer and is well worth taking some time to look over. Last weekend, England put in one of their most complete and scintillating displays under the management of Martin Johnson, to put up records points in the defeat of Australia. They now have the chance to stretch their legs a little bit more, show some more of that attacking flair that has been missing for so long, as England v Samoa takes place at Twickenham. England are favourites to win the match, so it is a good opportunity to delve into Handicap betting with SportingBet, as they are offering match Refunds. What this means, is that if the match ends in a tie when taking the SportingBet Handicap price on a match, then you will get a refund. For example, as England are expected to win, SportingBet have set a -23 points handicap on England for a price of Evens. England need to overcome that 23 point deficit in order for your bet to win. But, if England win by exactly 23 points over Samoa, then the match will end in a tie from the handicap perspective and your bet would lose. But SportingBet are offering coverage on the handicap markets, whereby if the match does end in a draw, then you will at least get your lost stake refunded.

This offer applies to the other two televised rugby international matches happening on the weekend. At Murrayfield, there is the Scotland v South Africa clash. The Springboks are favourite there, with SportingBet setting a -12 Handicap on them for a price of Evens. Ireland take on the All Blacks on the weekend as well, with the powerful New Zealand side favourites to win. The All Blacks are -13 in the Handicap for 5/6 at SPortingBet. If you back any team to win on a handicap, and the match ends drawn after the handicap value is applied, then you will get a refund of your lost stake! This is a worthwhile offer being presented by SportingBet, who have also increased the value of their welcome offer for new customers. The welcome offer at SportingBet currently stands at a free £50 bet when a new account is opened, and this runs until the end of November. The regular offer is half that amount, so you will need to be quick to get in to take advantage of this offer and the great Rugby Handicap Tie Refund promotion as well. Here are the outright prices for the big international clashes.

England v Samoa (Home 1/40, Draw 33//1, Away 33/1)
Scotland v South Africa (Home 5/1, Draw 25/1, Away 1/7)
Ireland v New Zealand (Home 13/2, Draw 33/1, Away 1/10)

England v Australia Rugby Odds – : Aussies look for hattrick at Twickenham

England to win: 6/4 at SportingBet
Draw: 22/1 at Ladbrokes
Australia to win: 4/6 at Blue Square

England v Australia Betting Tip: Australia 1-12 winning margin 7/4 at Bet365

England will be looking to build upon the last success which they had when they turned out against Australia in the summer. That close triumph over the Aussies in their own back yard, really was the first match under Martin Johnson’s reign as England coach that England have shown real potential. Finally there seems to be a bit of optimism blowing through the ranks of English rugby again. Although they went down 16-26 to New Zealand last weekend, there was enough signs that England are fully rebuilding properly. The game could have been a lot different, and England could have genuinely been within three points of the All Blacks going into the last five minutes of the match, but it wasn’t to be. Many have said that the All Blacks simply didn’t play all that well, but perhaps England did enough to make them look average. England will need to come out of the blocks stronger than they did against the Kiwis, because after all the talk of England hitting the ground running in these November series of Rugby Internationals, they simply didn’t and they were chasing the game right from the off. England can take some heart that they crossed the All Blacks try line, something which hasn’t been done very often in the last ten years of them visiting Twickenham. So now attention turns back to the old rivalry of England v Australia, and another mouth watering, bruising encounter is on the cards.

One of the big positives for England, was the mobility of the pack that Johnson has finally assembled. This is the area which has always been the strength of England, and it was the strength which won them the World Cup. However, since that famous Jonny Wilkinson drop goal, the English pack has never been the same. England did manage to dominate in the scrum against the Kiwis, and that is a very good sign for the Australia match, because England generally do have the upper hand there when the two old foes meet. Dylan Hartley, a try scorer last week after a rampaging run gets a starting place after making his big impact from the bench. If they can again assert dominance over the Aussies in the pack, then it will provide a great platform for them to go on and win the game. While much was made of the late rallying by England against the All Blacks, Johnson will probably (and hopefully) be aware that his side are still lacking in certain areas, notably with pace in the back line and perhaps more importantly, some rugby intelligence. Rugby League convert Shontayne Hape simply wasn’t used in the right manner, and they needed to get him running better lines (not his fault) to make an impact by taking the ball into the gain line, and off-loading to others. He is a real threat if used correctly. One of the most disappointing areas for England really was in the midfield, especially defensively. Mike Tindall had his worst game in an England shirt, and if he plays like that again, his inclusion in the starting fifteen could be up for discussion.

But, going back to the positives, once they had settled down, England weren’t afraid. They battled and hung in there, even though they were largely outmatched for pace all over the field. There were huge positives from Chris Ashton and Ben Foden with the ball, and it was their inventiveness and willingness to not just quick which a few more of the players need to adopt. There are signs that this could come together for England, but now having just won one match in six attempts, one wonders how much time Johnson has left in charge. There is a World Cup to be played next year remember. There are always great battles up front when England v Australia fixtures roll around, and this one should be no different. At home, and taking signs from how they performed against the All Blacks, England should go well there, but the danger with Australia, is, as always, that even if their pack doesn’t perform in the scrums, there is just so much talent throughout the rest of the team that they can usually compensate for it. England, at the moment anyway, simply do not have that same luxury. The two nations met in a two match series Down Under in the autumn, and the Aussies really had the upper hand in the first test, and only narrowly missed victory in the second after Matt Giteau missed a penalty (yes, it happens). There is not a great gulf between the two sides (England would actually rise above the Aussies in the world rankings with a win), but on paper, Australia still look the more dangerous of the two teams. This is an Australia which beat the All Blacks prior to landing on British soil for the November series.

Australia aren’t great up front, and that was seen in their victory over Wales. But again, there is main point. The scrummaging wasn’t great but they still had enough in the tank to win. Exactly what they did when they visited Twickenham last year. Oh, and the year before that. Are the Aussies in line to make it a hat trick of disappointments for England fans at Twickenham? Disappointment is something those England fans have had to live with for a while now, as they have seen their side win just two of their last six outings on the Twickenham turf. IN the head to head statistics between the two sides, the leader isn’t too much of a surprise, as the Aussies have a 23-15 upper hand. The problems for England will probably come in midfield again, as they face what is considered to be the best back line in World rugby from Australia. England have to marshal themselves better, play smarter and quicker in those areas, or else they will get overrun, no matter what is going on in the scrums. The Aussies have the ability to keep the ball away from there, and they will get possession, and plenty of it. England need a strong start to try and rattle their antipodean foes out of their rhythm. This is the big rivalry. This is the one that England needs to, and must win if they are going to turn improvement into opportunity.

England v Australia Statistics

Games Played 39
England wins: 15
Australia wins: 23
Draws: 1

Last 5 Head to head
Australia 20, England 21
Australia 27, England 17
England 9, Australia 18
England 14, Australia 28
Australia 10, England 12

Largest winning margin for England: 23-6
Largest winning margin for Australia: 76-0

Average points for England per game v AUS: 14.51
Average points for Australia per game v ENG: 21.51

Average points difference: +7 Australia

It seems like a yawning eternity between betting on Rugby International matches, but England v New Zealand head line Saturday, November 6th fixtures. Fortunately there is a blitz of top quality rugby uinion coming, as the home nations take on the southern hemisphere. While Ireland square off against South Africa and Wales take on Australia, eyes will be on Twickenham to see how far England are progressing under Martin Johnson. It hasn’t been a smooth transition into the job for World Cup winner Johnson, although his 21-20 win over Australia back in June will have raised a little hope. The problem for England, under Johnson in particular, has been a lack of cohesion between the forwards and the backs. Everything has just been incredibly flat and on the large part directionless. There has been a distinct lack of cutting edge when it comes to spreading the ball wide, and they always seems to be more worried about what the opposition are doing, how they are lining up as opposed to getting on with their own thing. Now Twickenham will see another new England, as the England v New Zealand match starts the November series, before they face Australia, Samoa and South Africa in a thrilling sequence. Former Captain Phil Vickery has announced his retirement from the game, and while one experienced head departs, there is a feeling of a youthful breeze finally blowing through the England ranks. What that brings of course is inexperience, and that is the last thing you want exposed by the All Blacks.

England v New Zealand Betting Odds

England to win: 11/2 at SportingBet
Draw: 33/1 at Bet365
New Zealand to win: 1/6 at Ladbrokes

England have only managed to win nine matches out twenty five that Martin Johnson has coached. Not great, but one has to question whether the blame is solely on him. The specialist coaches have taken a lot of flak, as well as the general standard of the English domestic rugby game, which is seen to be in decline. But one of the positives of youth, is often bravery. It may take some time for new players to settle in to roles at International level, but for the new boys here, an England v New Zealand match doesn’t get any tougher. With the Premiership just a couple of weeks into its new season, the England players should be relatively fresh, and there is a hope that the intensity from the league will spill over into the enthusiasm needed on the pitch, come Saturday. Johnson wants England to come out of the blocks running, to try and unsettle the vistiors, and also to not find themselves in a position of having to chase the game from an early stage. The task ahead of them at Twickenham is no easy one of course. New Zealand have not lost on British soil for eight years.

England will be led out again by Lewis Moody, and prop Andrew Sheridan is welcomed back into the squad, after sitting out a long period from the game through injury. While there are familiar names in the starting fifteen which Johnson has announced to face the Kiwis, five of the players will get their first taste of playing at Twickenham. Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Shontayne Hape, Ben Youngs and Courtney Lawes all make their home debuts for England, while David Attwood and Hendre Fourie will wait to come off the bench for their first full caps. There is actually quite a nice looking balance to the England team when you look at it on paper. In particular, the pack seems to be quite a mobile one, with Nick Easter, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes and Tom Palmer hovering around the action. Throw in the tackling impacts that Tom Croft and Lewis Moody has around the breakdown and there is a good looking side. Nick Easter at number eight will need a big game, controlling the speed which the ball gets to the backs. Ben Youngs steps in as scrum half. The Leicester man has only three caps to his name, but he was the Land Rover Discovery of the Year in 2009-10, and the scrum half is given him another chance. Youngs ran in a try in the 21-20 victory in Australia mentioned above, after throwing a dummy to beat the Aussie defence. Chris Ashton, who looks like a very exciting long term prospect, along with Mark Cueto will occupy the wings, and while there is no Jonny Wilkinson, Toby Flood controls from fly half.

England v New Zealand Betting Tip: New Zealand winning margin 11-20 for 15/8 at Ladbrokes

The fly half position is where most of the blame has been placed on the backs. Wasted balls kicked away, poor passing, and a flat back line playing off the fly half has been England’s attacking downfall for some time now. Flood has to be on top of his game in such an important position, and is the more dynamic option over Wilkinson (who is out injured). Rugby League and Kiwi convert Hape will be the injection of creativity, pace and finishing power through the middle, while Mike Tindall will continue his role as direct battering ram. Looking at the full back position, Ben Foden continues his fledgling international career, and makes up a triumvirate of real attacking cutting edge from the back along with Youngs and Ashton. This is the youth that England need to develop well and use, and of course, give chances to. These are the future of the team. Foden is a lethal runner when he gets the ball in hand, something England really haven’t had for a long time, not since Jason Robinson hung up his boots really. What Foden does, is open up games very well. Usually the first order of the day for a full back is to put boot to ball, but the confidence and attitude with which Foden plays, that is generally his second option. If he sees space, he will run and counter without hesitation. Again, on paper, England look a balanced, and somewhat exciting team. The questions will be over Johnson’s tactics, and whether he is astute enough to navigate their way past a New Zealand side which has not conceded a try on their last two European Tours. In the fixture last year, the Kiwis ran out comfortable 19-6 winners, but this being the first real match for England, they usually perform well. You can expect a spark of enthusiasm, and hopefully a bit of bravery to take the game to the Kiwis right from the very off.

England team to face New Zealand: Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Dan Cole, Courtney Lawes, Tom Palmer, Tom Croft, Lewis Moody, Nick Easter, Ben Youngs, Toby Flood, Mark Cueto, Shontayne Hape, Mike Tindall, Chris Ashton, Ben Foden.

For the All Blacks, the key man as always will be Dan Carter, and the England midfield have to find a way of shutting him down. New Zealand will hit Twickenham with something to prove. After cruising to a Tri-Nations title, where they won six out of six matches and notched 184 points, they slipped up in a warm up match recently against Australia in Hong Kong. That was a game which would have equalled the world record for consecutive Test match victories (standing at 17), if the Kiwis had won it. Instead, Australia ended a ten game losing streak against the All Blacks. But that was a seriously long unbeaten run to start with, and highlights the dominance of the Kiwis. They are the best attacking side in the world, hands down. No questions. They have natural flair, dynamic running and power from all over the place. It is hard to spot any weakness in the All Blacks armour, and only moments of players switching off, often puts the All Blacks under pressure. Tri Nations was an absolute thriller this year, with score lines rocketing, and the question is, do England try and match that power, or try and contain? The World Cup is next year, and the winners are usually a team build on solid defence. The England defence will be tested on Saturday, as the All Blacks will be reeling from that loss to Australia. The last time New Zealand lost in Britain was when England beat them 31-28 at Twickenham in 2002. That was in the November series too, just ahead of the 2003 World Cup, which England of course, won.

England v New Zealand Stats

Matches Played: 33
England wins: 6
New Zealand wins: 26
Draws: 1

Largest match points for England: 31-28
Largest match points for New Zealand: 64-22

Largest winning margin for England: 13-0 (13)
Largest winning margin for New Zealand: 64-22 (42)

England Total points v NZ: 408
New Zealand Total points v ENG: 784

Average points for England v NZ: 12
Average points for New Zealand v ENG: 23

England Women’s Rubgy team will need a momentous repeat of their performance in the Autumn Test series against the world’s best New Zealand, if they are to lift the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Sunday. England secured their place in the final with a 15-0 semi final win over Australia, a game in which England’s superior defence clearly showed. Now the tournament reaches its expected conclusion between two of the women’s games heavyweights, as England v New Zealand play out at Twickenham Stoop for glory. England are arguably the side best prepared to take on the might of New Zealand, who are the defending champions after winning the tournament three times in a row. But England have been strong in their play and performances throughout the tournament, even though the heavy score lines which they have run up, have been against opposition who are below the standards required to win the World Cup. Can England upset the Rugby betting odds and pull of a famous victory on their home turf?

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England’s open side flanker Maggie Alphonsi has been the highlight of the England side, and it is her combined power with the rest of the England pack, which will be key in taking the game to the Black Ferns. It is that extra level of power, and the discipline in defence which England will need to be able to compete toe to toe with the favourites. England need to take the game to New Zealand, and heap as much pressure on them as possible up front. Will home advantage for the England women be the catalyst to propel them towards the title which they won back in 1994 for the first time? It should certainly play its part as the Red Roses go into the match as underdogs. The Black Ferns, just like the men’s senior side, are a team which can rip opponents apart and run riot themselves. They haven’t been put under any kind of pressure so far in the tournament, so can England throw them off their game? They will have the experience of their most capped player Amy Garnett to call upon in the final, and it could be third time lucky for her after missing out twice in World Cup Finals. Those two losses in the final were both at the hands of Sunday’s opponents New Zealand.

Preparation and focus are the keys to game on Sunday, and the host nation has not faltered in their position with the weight of expectancy upon them. They will be able to recall their victory over the Black Ferns in the second test of the Autumn series in November, which England won to tie the series. Wins do not come to often against New Zealand, but the England camp look ready and prepared for their biggest match of the year. The English women’s game has advanced from four years ago, with more funding being injected into the sport, all which helps with raising the quality levels of the English game. England are not going to come up against many weaknesses in the New Zealand game, and the match could all hinge on how well England’s mightily impressive defence stands up over the 80 minutes. One thing which England may need to do, is produce the perfect game which they have been striving for so hard. They believe they haven’t found it in the tournament yet, but Sunday at Twickenham Stoop would be the perfect time to make it happen.

Women’s Rugby World Cup Final Odds
New Zealand to win: 2/9 at Bet365
Draw: 25/1 at Totesport
England to win: 7/2 at Stan James

England will play Australia in the semi finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, after coming through their group stage undefeated. They rounded out the group with a strong 37-10 victory over the United States, sealing a 100% record which shot them straight into the semi finals. England topped their group over Ireland, USA and Kazakhstan, finishing with the maximum of fifteen points. The hosts have looked fairly untroubled through their progress, as expected and finished as top seeds after the group qualification stage. New Zealand were the only other group winners to finish with the maximum points, but England pipped them in the seedings for the knockout stages by virtue of having a better points difference. England are showing a lot of firepower at the tournament, with the team being the highest scorers in the competition ahead of New Zealand. They have also ran in the most tries in the tournament, with Katy McLean second on the points chart for individual scorers. England will be well worth backing in the semi final, as they have the upper hand in experience and overall quality in the women’s game, and should be able to snuff out the threat of the emerging Australians.

Australia finished the group stages as the best runner up, coming in in second place in their group behind New Zealand. This sets up a clash with England. Interestingly given the history between the two countries at the men’s international level, the two sides have never met in a women’s international. England are the most established of the two sides with Australia emerging as one of the newer most promising and exciting talents on the world scene. The Aussies pushed the limits of qualification, needing to beat South Africa in their final group game by a huge 56 points margin. They miraculously did it though, beating the South Africans, who were being touted as one of the other strong dark horses of the competition, by a score of 62-0. Any Australian side, will of course be confident of victory, but there doesn’t appear to be quite enough in the tank to be able to take down the English, certainly not having to play against the home crowd as well. It should be an entertaining affair though, with two attacking sides, but England’s defence will have the edge. The women’s game is a lot more of an open, running game than the men’s. The women keep the ball in hand a lot longer and you won’t see a lot of possession being kicked away.

Twickenham Stoop hosts both of the semi finals, and kick off is at 8.30 pm Wednesday. The first of the two semi finals will be contested between three times defending Champions and tournament favourites New Zealand, as they take on France who needed to beat Canada in their final group match to squeeze through to the knockout round. Canada, who are always a threat in Women’s Rugby, were holding on to one of the semi final spots before the last round of matches, and their loss, coupled with Australia’s unlikely win over the South Africans, knocked them out. France should prove to be stubborn opponents, but New Zealand are the top side in the world and will take some beating, especially in the knockout stages of the World Cup. The Black Ferns have won the tournament three times in a row now, and will take some stopping. England are second favourites to win the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and their 1-1 tied series in the Autumn against New Zealand, will give them plenty of optimism to focus upon.

England v Australia Odds
England to win: 1/5 at Paddy Power
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
Australia to win: 9/2 at SportingBet

2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup Betting Outright
New Zealand: 2/7 at Paddy Power
England: 11/4 at Bet365
Australia: 40/1 at Boylesports
France: 125/1 at Totesport

Home nation England will be hoping to ruck and maul their way to rugby glory at the 2010 World Cup. The 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup begins on Friday August 20th and runs to September 5th, with England pooled in the second of three tournament groups alongside Ireland, Kazakhstan and the USA. The tournament, which spans over 17 exciting days, is the culmination of teams having to actually qualify for places in the tournament, which indicates just how much the sports has grown in recognition since 2006. England, France, Canada, USA and defending Champions New Zealand all gained automatic berths, while Australia, Sweden, Kazakhstan and the remaining home nations all came through qualification campaigns. Women’s rugby is ready to set the world alight again, with full coverage on TV. Will this put extra pressure on the England women? With South Africa and Australia on the rise, the tournament is expected to again raise the standards of the women’s international game. The women’s game is much faster than the men’s version, because the ball is kept in hand a lot more, instead of being kicked away. You will likely see much more running and having a go for the try line.

As the action is on SkySports, the online bookmaker SkyBet is a great port of call to go to in order to get your fill of the Women’s Rugby World Cup betting. SkySports currently offer a welcome bonus of a matched £10 when you open a new account with them and make your first bet. With the online bookmaker SkyBet, you will find a betting portal which is as comprehensive as it is easy to navigate. As to be expected from the sports provider, you can find some of the best market prices around in their sports book, and don’t forget to dip into their promotions to further enhance your betting experience. Just head to their rugby section to find the lastest prices on the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup. There, England are 11/8 second favourites, behind New Zealand at 4/5. England are a very short 1/8 to win their pool.

Pools
A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales
B: England, Ireland, Kazakhstan, USA
C: Canada, France, Scotland, Sweden

Fixtures -
Pool A
20 Aug, 14:00 – Wales v Australia
20 Aug, 16:15 – New Zealand v South Africa
24 Aug, 12:00 – Wales v South Africa
24 Aug, 16:15 – New Zealand v Australia
28 Aug, 14:00 -New Zealand v Wales
28 Aug, 16:15 – Australia v South Africa

Pool B
20 Aug, 14:15 -USA v Kazakhstan
20 Aug, 18:30 – England v Ireland
24 Aug, 16:30 – USA v Ireland
24 Aug, 18:30 – England v Kazakhstan
28 Aug, 16:30 – Ireland v Kazakhstan
28 Aug, 18:30 – England v USA

Pool C
20 Aug, 12:00 – Canada v Scotland
20 Aug, 16:30 – France v Sweden
24 Aug, 14:00 – France v Scotland
24 Aug, 14:15 – Canada v Sweden
28 Aug, 12:00 – Scotland v Sweden
28 Aug, 14:15 – France v Canada

So let’s asses the chances of England with a rugby betting preview. England have already been forced into making changes to the squad, with veteran England stalwart Claire Allan (who has been capped 38 times for her country) falling foul of injury during training. England have drafted in cover in the form of Michaela Staniford to cover the position in the backs. The tournament favourites will be new Zealand, and to be honest, England have a long way to go to catch up with Black Ferns, as do most other nations. England are captained by Catherine Spencer, and she will take heart from their performances against New Zealand in the Autumn Test series, where they held the Kiwis to a 1-1 series draw. So, should their paths cross again at the 2010 Women’s World Cup, then there should not be so much fear against the might of the New Zealand women’s rugby team, should they face the Haka again. New Zealand and England met in the final of the 2006 World Cup, which England lost, but their second test 10-3 victory over the Kiwis in the Autumn will put them in good standing for confidence, knowing that they can beat the best in the world.

England surprisingly lost a little of their grip on the Six Nations earlier in the year, with a surprise, last minute defeat by Wales denying them a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. England still won the championship again though, and England should be a lot stronger than they were at the start of the Six Nations, having played a lot of games together as a team in preparation for the 2010 World Cup in England. That was the first time in the international history of women’s rugby that Wales had beaten England, and captain Catherine Spencer, is sure that they have learned their lessons to become a better side. England’s women rugby stars are not professionals and they do not get paid for their sport participation, so it is literally a labour of love for the women. When you get to turn out in the World Cup at Twickenham in front of the home fans, then those are the genuine sporting moments which are worth working towards. It is exactly what Emily Scarratt has done, and you can look for her to be one of the stars of the tournament, at just 20 years of age. Scarratt has ran in 16 tries in 18 international tests for her country. The fly half is also fully adaptable to dropping into full back, and could be one of the most potent attacking weapons in the tournament.

England start their tournament on the opening day on Friday, as they take on Ireland, who they beat in the Six Nations earlier in the year. Also on the cards for the opening day of the tournament, is New Zealand v South Africa and Wales v Australia. Wales are looking forward to the tournament, with probably their strongest squad ever. Non Evans kicked a last minute drop goal in the Six Nations to beat England, and that victory will give the battling Welsh a lot of hope of good performances, even though they have been handed a draw in the Group of Death, with South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Wales will be the quietly confident underdogs of the group, but that is just the way Wales like it and are in a buoyant mood. They likely won’t get to the main stages of the tournament, but they have the chance to prove themselves against the best in the world. New Zealand though will start as tournament favourites, even though they have been dealt a blow with the loss of the woman who essentially won them the 2006 World Cup. Amiria Rule was one of the top performers in Canada 2006, and, running in a late try against England in the final of the tournament, secured the third consecutive tournament for the Black Ferns. You can follow all the live action on SkySports, while enjoying live In-Play betting with SkyBet.

England v Australia Betting Preview: England boss Martin Johnson will still be scratching his head after England drew a run out against the Australia Barbarians 28-28 as part of their build up for Saturday’s first test against the Aussies. The same old problems which have plagued England during Johnson’s tenure as boss were there again, as visible as the startling future talent of Aussie James O’Connor who ran in a hat trick against the English. While England had the better of the forwards play with some much improved scrimmaging, again they looked extremely flat and lacking any creativity in the back line. For all the promise of injecting a new exciting attack into the England style, Johnson has again failed to deliver where it counts. Going into a series against the Aussies, England will find themselves way back in terms of betting, as the chance of breaking down the speedy Australian defence, is limited at best. They did run in three tries against the Aussie Barbarians, but they were so laborious at the back, and were so littered with basic errors, that the result could have easily ended in defeat for the English.

So what options do Johnson have? Are all of England’s problems down to him, or are England simply lacking talent in the backs? The Cook Cup throws together England and Australia again, in one of Rugby Unions most anticipated match ups. The backs will be missing their one injection of pace, as Riki Flutey sits out through injury, and that could give a start to Shontayne Hape, who switched codes from league, and Johnson may be looking to that more exciting running to give England some direction. The all important fly half position will still be filled with Toby Flood, as Jonny Wilkinson continues to sit things out on the bench. Flood will be pairing up with scrum half Danny Care, who still manages to retain his first choice position, even if he has shown his weaknesses on the international stage. Hape would come in alongside the midfield battering ram of Mike Tindall. The last time England picked up a victory over Australia down under, the entire nation was jumping for joy when Wilkinson drop kicked England to World Cup victory in 2003.

Since then, England have not looked anywhere near as strong as that side, and for all the rebuilding and reshuffling, they cannot seem to get things right, nor even show enough progress in going forward. Rugby Union tests don’t come much harder than playing Australia in their own back yard. However, England will have the advantage of experience in the scrum, as the Aussies are putting out an inexperienced front line. They key to winning for England, will be for them to destroy the Australian scrum, which will break down their attacking platform. That is the only way that Johnson is going to see the pressure eased off his back, and it will be the most likely source of their own points. Taking on the Aussies up front is not going to be conducive to seeing England playing a dynamic attacking game, but right now Johnson would probably take a win from any performance. England will have to face hat trick hero O’Connor again, as he gets drafted in at full back after his impressive Barbarians debut.

In their warm up win against Fiji, the Aussies suffered two major blows, with Adam Ashley-Cooper and Ben Alexander picking up injuries. World class genius Matt Giteau will be the fulcrum in the back playing at inside centre, while around him, some more inexperienced players will get their chance in the Green and Gold. Can England find a dynamic thrust to cause an upset down under? On paper it looks unlikely, but they do have their chances with the right tactical approach, and if they keep basic errors out of their game? Are they as good as the Australians? No, plain and simple the same level of talent is not there. Will a messy win suffice? Certainly, it would keep Johnson in a job a little bit longer. Remember the World Cup is next year, and these should be important building blocks for Johnson. But, surely by now, England should be further ahead in their game than they are, even though Johnson is trying to keep a settled and consistent squad. There is a train of thought that it really is not the players, but the management and coaching staff who are letting the nation down. Can Johnson simply survive on the reputation of being a World Cup hero as a player? Is it time to bring in a proven, World Class coach? Aussies win, hands down.

Australia to win: 1/4 at BetFred
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
England to win: 4/1 at SportingBet

England team: Chris Ashton, Danny Care, Dan Cole, Tom Croft, Mark Cueto, Nick Easter, Toby Flood, Ben Foden, Shontayne Hape, Lewis Moody, Tom Palmer, Tim Payne, Simon Shaw, Steve Thompson, Mike Tindall
Replacements: George Chuter, James Haskell, Courtney Lawes, Mathew Tait, Jonny Wilkinson, David Wilson, Ben Youngs.