Wales

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.

The inaugural World Cup of Darts was thrown into action on Friday, with 24 nations competing to be crowned the first ever World Champions. The tournament is held over just three days in Houghton-le-Spring and the teams have had to break the snow to make their case. Each team has just two players and is played mostly in the doubles format. It all started off with a knockout round between the 9-24th seeded teams in the tournament, to see who progressed through to the evening draw where the seeded teams were awaiting them. All of these matches are the best of eleven legs and interestingly, it is the loser who throws first in the next leg. So, who are favourites at the World Cup of Darts? Well, that was England. Why? Because Phil Taylor was representing his country along with James Wade, and they make a formidable pairing. These are the top two ranked players in the world, and it didn’t look bad at all for England’s hopes. That’s a bit like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both being from the same country and playing on the same national side. Formidable. However, they lost. The top pairing were sensationally dumped out of the second round, by qualifiers Spain.

The 24 nations taking part are the top ranked ones in the PDC Order of Merit, and Spain beat Japan in the first round to get the chance to take on England. The match went all the way down to a decider which the Spanish took. Favourites in the tournament now then are the Netherlands, with Co Stompe and Raymond Van Barneveld representing their country. That is also quick a strong arm to bet on, but really everyone should come in second against The English pairing. Out of Friday’s evening sessions, the eight winning nations from that will go forward into Saturday’s group stage. The eight nations will be split into two groups, with the top two going forward then to the semi finals. Sunday will see the semi finals and World Cup final itself take place. The format of the competition does change a little bit on the weekend, with Singles and Doubles games consisting of a match. This is an exciting tournament, simply because it is new and you really don’t get to see the world’s best players playing doubles matches very often. The added challenge for the top seeds, will be to overcome the Loser Throws First rule.

With the draw sort of predetermined (keeping the top seeds apart for the group stage) Spain have ended up in a group along with the USA, Wales and Scotland. That is a fascinating prospect, and one for the darts crowd to get pumped up for. Scotland (seeded fourth for the World Cup) are represented by Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton, Wales (5th seeds) have Mark Webster and Barrie Bates, Northern Ireland (6th seeds) have Brendan Dolan and John MaGowan, and Ireland (9th seeds) have Mick McGowan and William O’Connor. Wales and Scotland succeeded where England failed in reaching the group stage, and Scotland actually make an interesting prospect for your darts betting. Second seeds Netherlands are likely to be in a group along with Canada, Austria and Australia. The Australian duo of Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson looks like a great outside bet, and that is because of Whitlock, who is one of the best players around at the moment. He will be a threat, but of course, with the doubles format, you are only as good as your partner. Both players have to perform on the night, so there is still a lot of work to do. The round robin format in the group stages really is going to be an exciting prospect.

You really wouldn’t have backed against Taylor and Wade to be honest, not with any conviction anyway at the start of the tournament. Taylor has had an astonishing year, and he has been nominated for the shortlist of the Sports Personality of the Year Award. He is one of the favourites there and would be full deserving and a World Cup triumph may just have influenced voting on him. The Netherlands are worth a look, but they had tough travel plans in getting into the UK because of the weather which may have disrupted them with their delays. Sweden had their first round match delayed because of a cancelled flight. The Czech team didn’t even show up because of problems in getting to the UK on time, and Russia’s Anastasia Dobromyslova lost her partner Roman Konchikov somewhere in London (although he appeared in time to help Russia beat Gibraltar in the first round). Scotland then disposed of Russia in the second round, Wales beating New Zealand.

Sunday, December 5th
Semi Finals – Four “Best of Eleven Singles” followed by a “Best of Eleven Doubles” if it is needed. Teams earn one point for a singles win, two for a doubles win.

World Cup of Darts Final: Four “Best of Fifteen” singles matches, followed by a “Best of Fifteen Doubles” if it is needed. Points are awarded as above.

World Cup of Darts Outright Winner

Netherlands: 2/1 at SportingBet
Scotland: 9/4 at SkyBet
Australia: 10/3 at BetFred
Wales: 9/1 at Blue Square
Spain: 33/1 at Stan James
Canada: 66/1 at Bwin
Austria: 100/1 at SkyBet
USA: 100/1 at Stan James

While the England v New Zealand rugby match at Twickenham on Saturday is largely taking a lot of the headlines, Ireland and Wales are also in action against southern hemisphere opponents. Taking a look at the November series of Rugby Internationals, online bookmaker Blue Square presents some very interesting rugby betting markets to take a look at. Notably the rugby betting handicap section for the Test Matches on Saturday posed some very interesting questions from a betting perspective. There’s nothing quite like a good northern v southern hemisphere battle on the rugby field, and naturally, just as with any sports betting, you immediately look at the strength of the favourites to determine how you make your wager. Largely the favourites bank a lot of money, because punters want to see something for their money, even if it is only a little profit at short odds. That is understandable, but in the age of internet betting, there are so many more markets available than just outright betting odds, that much better profits can be earned for the same result. If you are expecting a New Zealand win, then you can make profit on that expected outcome, by dipping into handicap betting or margins.

England v New Zealand

The Kiwis are the best in the world at the game, and that is not in question. Does that mean they are infallible? Does that mean England shouldn’t even bother turning up? Of course not, as the great sporting arena of Twickenham will be expectant of England running the All Blacks close in this tough fixture. However, the Kiwis are strong favourites in the outright betting market, and that makes the Handicap betting for the match, very interesting. Looking at the stats for England v New Zealand, you can see on average, that England have on average, been outscored by 11 points per match by the All Blacks. That is why, when you look at England v New Zealand handicaps, England +12 (and a New Zealand -12) pretty much represents the break even line in the match. This is just going based on average winning margins between the two countries. So, if you want to lengthen your odds just a tad, then you can look at the half margins, with England +11.5 being offered at 5/6 with Blue Square. In order to make any large standing profits, you are either going to be looking at New Zealand to start with a big minus handicap, or for England to start with a slender positive. For example, England +5.5 is 13/8, while England +8.5 is worth a good look at odds of 6/5. For the Kiwis, if you expect them to run riot, which is feasible, then a -17.5 point handicap will bring you a decent 13/8. A New Zealand 11-15 winning margin will fetch a nice 5/1 with Blue Square.

Wales v Australia

Wales are slipping backwards down the world rankings, and they take on an Australia side which beat New Zealand in a recent match, ending the All Blacks’ quest to equal the record number of consecutive test match victories. The Aussies are always a dangerous side and you can never switch off against them. They will be expected to get the better of the Welsh side by at least a good try score. That is why, looking at a Wales +9 (or Australia -9) Handicap fetches 10/11 with Blue Square. Just like the Kiwis against England, you are going to need to look bigger on the margin of victory for the Wallabies. Wales only have a 34% success rate against Australia and the average difference per game between the two sides is, you guessed it, 9 points. The last time the two teams met was in November last year, when Australia romped home to a 21 point victory in 12-33 triumph in Wales. The Welsh have lost their last three outings now, one of them being an absolute hammering (42-9) by New Zealand back in June. The Welsh will play with passion and pride, but the Aussies are so much sharper at the moment, and talented. It will take a lot for Wales to win, so you would have to look at how big a margin Australia will inflict upon them. It’s likely to be touching upon two try scores or better, therefore an Australia 11-15 winning margin is nicely balanced at 5/1.

Ireland v South Africa

This should be a bruising encounter. The Springboks finished bottom of the pile in this year’s tri-nations, and is realistically the best chance that one of the home nations has of winning on Saturday. In fact, you can look at Ireland as favourites for this one, but it could be a pretty tight affair. Ireland have a pretty woeful record against South Africa actually, winning on 21% of their matches against the Springboks. However, in the current swing of things, Ireland on a three match winning streak against South Africa, and they should be backed to do it again, especially at home. In the corresponding fixture last year, Ireland ran out 15-10 winners and there is only an average of around an 8 point difference between the two sides when they meet (in favour of South Africa). Ireland at home are always a tough prospect, and that is why they are just edging things in the handicap betting. You are looking at Ireland -2 or South Africa +2 for around the parity line for 10/11. An Ireland -5.5 handicap for 6/5 is not too far out of the question, and if you fancy the Irish to push the boat out to -8.5 then that brings 13/8. As it should be a close match, looking at an Ireland 1-5 point winning margin is being offered for 4/1 at Blue Square.

If you are new to Blue Square, then you can also double your money when you open an account. All that you need to get the generous bonus, is to place a first bet of a minimum of £5, and whether it wins or loses, Blue Square will simply give a free £10 bet. This is a nice entry into a very good online betting experience with Blue Square, and with clear and concise navigation around the site, along with good prices, the 200%  welcome bonus puts the icing on the cake. November is a big month for International Rugby, and Blue Square could be your home for following the home nations against the tough challenges from the southern half of the world.

With all the furore over the Euro 2012 fixtures last Friday and Wednesday, in which the home nations managed to not pick up a single victory between them all, we take a football betting look at the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Scotland and Wales lost their matches, while England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all picked up one point each. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as there were some strange mitigating circumstances to the results. Where does these results leave the qualification hopes of the home nations? They will be sitting back and watching the likes of Spain and Germany continue to dominate their matches, taking the standard of European football to new levels. How can the home nations catch up? The process all begins here with the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and we assess the chances of completing the first part of the puzzle, getting to Poland and Ukraine 2012.

England

Previous Match: England 0, Montenegro 0
Current Standing: Second in Group G

Left Wembley with a very disappointing 0-0 draw against Montenegro, which left Fabio Capello’s men in second place in the group. Not where they were expected to be. England were short on striker options, highlighted by the fact that Bolton’s Kevin Davies was there, and with Wayne Rooney anonymous until the final kicks of the game, England have left themselves in a frustrating position. Alright, it is not the end of the world, and they should have enough quality still to turn their fortunes around, but the old symptoms of lack of pace and drive let them down against badly. England now really have to face the facts that they are not one of the teams occupying the higher echelons of quality football in the world. They need to understand their place and work on that, instead of letting complacency fool them into thinking that they are better than they are. Who would England be in the Premier League? Aston Villa? Everton? Certainly not a Chelsea, Man Utd or an Arsenal. So England are three points off the lead with a game in hand, which is still a pretty strong position. Their next opponents will be Wales, who haven’t picked up a single point yet, and Capello has to be ready for the trip down to Cardiff. England are the group’s top goal scorers at the moment, and that is the extra disappointment about being shut out by Montenegro, who actually haven’t conceded a goal themselves so far in Group G. The no score draw was a bitter blow for England fans, but they should get a little stronger by the time their next match comes along. They have one more match to end this year, a friendly against France at Wembley in November. Need to step up their game and produce more competent displays, which everyone knows they have in them.

To qualify: 1/20 at Bet365. Hard to see a major collapse happening and Capello’s men failing to qualify at all. Therefore, not too much value in this one.

To Win Group G: 2/9 at Ladbrokes. A little better value after their bore draw against Montenegro, but England are expected to be in the driving seat, and the Bookies are all over that.

To win Euro 2012: 10/1 at Victor Chandler. Pretty reasonable price all things considered. Perhaps it says something about the quality of European football behind the might of Spain and Germany, when England and Italy are so far out. Are they worth a bet though, that is the question. It will be a big, patriotic wager, but there is plenty of time for a new England side to establish itself, and for some of the younger players to make an impact over the next couple of years. At that ante post price, may worth a punt as you never know. Likely to remain on the outside of realistic chances though, because there much better teams around at the moment.

Republic of Ireland:

Previous Match: Slovakia 1, Republic of Ireland 1
Current Standing: Second Group B

The Republic of Ireland are doing OK at the moment in a very tight group. They are level on standings with Armenia and Slovakia, against whom they earned a credible and predictable draw in the week. That has left them in second place in the group, only on goal difference, and there will be a big race for second place. Russia are expected to win Group B, although they themselves haven’t been completely dominant, but they do look the best team there. That means that Ireland will be looking to battle their way through some tough challenges to hold on to second place. The Republic’s only defeat has come against Russia, and they actually make for a decent bet to qualify for Euro 2012. They may not do it as outright winners, unless they get the better of Russia when the two sides meet in Ireland later in the group, but they are a decent price to reach the finals, nonetheless. The Republic of Ireland go into back to back matches against Macedonia who are sitting on just one win in the group, and therefore stand a great chance of picking up the pace in their charge for qualification. Hard working, battling well and if they can find a bit more composure at the back, then they are in with a great chance.

To Qualify: 13/8 at Bet365. Well worth looking at and considering. It’s a tough, tight group the Irish are in, and it looks as if they have to chase the very strong Russians. Nonetheless, they have the fight in them to push all the way.

To win Euro 2012: 125/1 at Ladbrokes: Well there are bookmakers who have Ireland at much shorter odds than this, even half of what Ladbrokes are offering, it’s just not going to happen. Ireland aren’t going to beat enough elite teams in a finals to win a European Championship anytime soon. Even the most patriotic fan wouldn’t touch this.

Scotland

Previous Match: Scotland 2, Spain 3
Current Standing: 3rd Group I

So Scotland are in third place in the group, however they are the only team which has played four matches, with the rest of the teams on three, including Lithuania who are on the same amount of points as the Scots. Scotland put in a storming, heart warming battling performance at home against Spain in the weekend, pegging the World Champions back to 2-2, before Spanish sub Lorente netted a winner. The scoreline was never expected to be that close, but the defeat means that Scotland have now lost against the top two teams in the group, which really sets them back in their chances of qualifying for Euro 2012. Spain and the Czech Republic who are above them, still have a game in hand over the Scots, so again Scotland could be missing out on a summer tournament. To be honest, the bookies never really gave them much of a chance to get out of this group, and that hasn’t changed. Spain and the Czech’s look too strong for the rest of the group, not only Scotland themselves. Is there a slim chance of Scotland getting out of the qualifying group? Certainly not as winners, but if they can produce another good home display in their next match against at home against the Czech’s then it could open things up nicely. They then could back that up with another home fixture against Lithuania, so there is hope, and Spain and the Czech Republic haven’t met yet, so when they do, there will be points taken away from one, or both. Not quite out of the running yet, but a lot of brave work still to do.

To Qualify: 9/1 at Bet365: Ideal football betting odds and sums up Scotland’s position perfectly. They will need some big hearted performances from here on out, with the crucial one being the home match against the Czechs. Good price and worth backing the Scots.

To Win Euro 2012: 999/1 at Bwin: Extravagant odds, and not reflective of most of the market, but we present you with best odds available. Even if the Scots reach the finals, they are not going to win.

Northern Ireland

Previous Match: Northern Ireland 1, Faroe Islands 1
Current Standing: 5th in Group C

Northern Ireland missed the boat big time with a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands in midweek. That really was tantamount to a defeat, as everybody expects to beat the Faroe Island, who are averaging conceding five goals a match in qualification. However, Northern Ireland didn’t get their lines right on the night, and as suggested here, their lack of goal scoring power hurt them. That is just two goals in three matches now for Northern Ireland, and unless they start firing quickly, they are going to be left with nothing to play for very soon. However, on the bright side, they have a game in hand over the four teams above them in the group, and are just three points off the lead. Their huge 1-0 win in Slovenia has kept them in the running, along with a heroic effort in holding Italy to a 0-0 draw. Those are the scrappy points which Northern Ireland will value greatly, but with Serbia, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia in the group, it will realistically be an uphill battle in getting through to the finals. It is to their credit that they are unbeaten so far, and that they have managed to pick up five points by scoring just two goals. A lot of that has come down to a resilient defence which has only conceded one goal. If they keep working hard for these draws and then sneaking a win here and there, then you just never know. It will be tough, and while UEFA await to see what the repercussions are of the Italy v Serbia match being abandoned after six minutes, there is life in this group and is one of the main groups in which big surprises could happen, as Italy are in rebuild mode. Still in with a fighting chance are Northern Ireland but they need to strap on their goal scoring boots.

To Qualify: 11/1 at Bet365: Again, like most of the other home nations, this is an outside bet which may be worth a punt. You really can’t go wrong with those odds, even if you have just £1 on it, or use some of your free bets when you sign up for an online bookmaker.

To Win Euro 2012: 1999/1 at Bwin. Again, simply highlighting the best value bet out there. Extravagant and extreme, but it is to the point. Northern Ireland aren’t going to win Euro 2012.

Wales

Previous Match: Switzerland 4, Wales 1
Current Standing: 5th Group G

Wales had their big chance to get their group going, albeit with a tricky away fixture in Switzerland. Both sides were without a win in their opening two matches, and there was a lot to play for. Wales, however, fell apart and collapsed to a 4-1 loss, making qualification from the group rest in the hands of a miracle. Quite frankly, Wales aren’t good enough to really get out of the group. Their weaknesses were highlighted by a Switzerland team, who are one of the least prolific goal scoring nations in Europe. The fact that the Swiss ran riot points to a lot of problems for Wales. That was on the back of defeats against Montenegro and against Bulgaria, which was at home. There’s no doubt that energy levels and pride and passion will be at a max when they welcome England in March, and the Welsh, as underdogs, will be relishing the challenge of picking up their first points against England. However, the same problem which seems to plague the rest of the home nations, is evident as well with Wales, in that there is not enough quality in front of goal, and if there is, then there is no quality service getting forward. There are still some tough matches ahead for Wales, and realistically, out of the home nations, they look the least likely to qualify for Euro 2012.

To Qualify: 66/1 at Bet365: The longest odds in this market of all the home nations, and that is because they are without a point, and floundering at the bottom of Group G. Not going to happen.

To Win Euro 2012: 4999/1 at Bwin: Online bookmaker Bwin likes to throw out some crazy big numbers. They could put this out even further, or cut it by three quarters and it still wouldn’t make a difference to the chance of Wales winning Euro 2012, which is none. Stick to match betting for Wales, they are bound to pick up points in the group sooner or later.

Euro 2012 Outright Winner Odds

While that is the home nations taken care of, who are the bookmakers leaning towards as outright winners of Euro 2012? Naturally there is only one nation who is going to be leading the way, and that is the current European and World Champions, Spain. They have maximum points from three matches, and have scored ten goals in those three matches. Pretty good going, and in quite an easy group for them, with the biggest challenge expected to come from the Czech Republic. Spain will get to Euro 2012 and be a massive threat, as there doesn’t look to be anyone else in their class at the moment. Perhaps Germany will pose the strongest challenge at the finals themselves, and they are well on course to qualifying with ease. Four wins from four matches from the Germans, racking up thirteen goals. They have picked up from where they left off in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and are looking mightily strong and adventurous. Belgium pushed them hard in the opener, but the Germans have really been untroubled so far and no sign of a slip up. Holland are the other European nation which are going strong with full on performances seeing them sitting with a 100% record as well. Four wins from four from them, in a group which houses Hungary and Sweden, there is not going to be any banana skins here for the Dutch, who will hopefully adopt a more attacking, less cynical approach the Euro 2012 finals than they did at South Africa 2010. Here at the ante post football betting prices at the moment:

To Win Euro 2012
Spain: 4/1 at Bet365
Germany: 11/2 at Coral
Holland: 15/2 at Totesport

Top online bookmaker Bet365 are again rolling out and showcasing their excellent live streaming services for Tuesday night’s Euro 2012 qualifiers. After showing a great deal of matches from Friday’s round of fixtures, Bet365 are at it again. They are one of the first places to go to online in order to watch live football streaming, as it is one of their top features in already extensive online betting site. Bet365 really deliver when it comes to football coverage, and with the amount of football matches they are able to stream live, it just enhances a fantastic service. One of the biggest benefits of being able to watch live streams online is that it works perfectly with your live in play betting. Where you would normally have to watch TV and get online at the same time to bet live, you can do both from the same place at Bet365. You can watch live and bet live, allowing you to get closer to the action and get a feel for how the match is going. With the Euro 2012 qualifiers almost reaching the halfway stage, there is a lot of stake in Tuesday’s matches. There are also some nice matches which should enjoy plenty of goals, and that means there will be plenty of opportunities to capitalise on live in play betting markets.

England v Montenegro Odds
England to win: 1/5
Draw: 5/1
Montenegro: 14/1

Spain v Scotland Odds
Spain to win: 4/11
Draw: 7/2
Scotland to win: 8/1

Slovakia v Ireland Odds
Slovakia to win: 5/4
Draw: 9/4
Ireland to win: 11/5

Northern Ireland v Faroe Islands Odds
N Ireland to win: 1/3
Draw: 15/4
Faroe Islands to win: 9/1

Switzerland to win: 4/9
Draw: 16/5
Wales to win: 13/2

Bet365 are presented as one of the most highly recommended online bookmakers out there, and that is because of the quality of all of their services which they provide. From customer support, to competitive prices and the nice extra features which really round out a great betting site, Bet365 just get everything on the mark. Their welcome bonus for new customers is an incredibly generous free £200 bet as the online bookmaker will double the amount of your initial deposit up to that maximum. This really is worth taking note of, because if you want to get access to the live streams, while they are completely free, you do need to be a funded account holder with Bet365 to gain access to them. There is still time to sign up, get some funds into your account, so that you can take advantage of the live streams for Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifiers. The sign up processes at Bet365 is very quick and straight forward, the perfect example of how stress free doing your online betting at Bet365 is.

Bet365 run some very good football betting promotions, which has you covered without you having to keep an eye out for individual match promotions which you may miss. Bet365 prefer the route of offering on-going promotions to protect some of your football betting interests. There is their cash back refunds for matches which end in a 0-0 draw for example, and if you are a fan of building football betting accumulators, then you will want to pay attention to their accumulator bonus. When you build an accumulator with Bet365 from the top European leagues, if your accumulator wins, then Bet365 pay a bonus on top of your winnings. The nice thing about this, is that it is a sliding scale of bonuses which can be earned. The bigger your accumulator, then the bigger the percentage bonus you will get back. So, a six-fold bet would bring a higher percentage bonus than a four-fold for example. As well as offering extra places on first goalscorer matches, Bet365 really are one of the front runners for your football betting. Start shopping around and comparing, and you will see that the do offer some of the most competitive prices online.

Here is a list of Tuesday’s Euro 2012 live streaming matches that Bet365 are providing…

Armenia v Andorra
Azerbaijan v Turkey
Finland v Hungary
Kazakhstan v Germany
Belarus v Albania
Denmark v Cyprus
Estonia v Slovenia
Macedonia v Russia
Belgium v Austria
Greece v Israel
Iceland v Portugal

The Euro 2012 Qualifiers continue on Tuesday, with England v Montenegro pretty much grabbing the headlines. But the fates of the other home nations are also at stake over the course of ninety minutes on Tuesday evening, so while Wembley will be looking for a strong win over Montenegro, who have pulled out a perfect start to the season, there are interesting matches involving the other home nations. That basically equates to some good betting opportunities with your online bookmaker, as football betting continues to focus in on international football odds. It’s a tense few days for the home nations, as eyes start to turn towards Ukraine and Poland 2012, and the home nations go into this next round of fixtures with contrasting fortunes. England and Northern Ireland have unbeaten records to protect, while Scotland and the Republic of Ireland need to bounce back from defeats, and the point-less Wales are looking to get their first point on the board for 2012 qualification. Expect some more thrills and spills on Tuesday night, with a busy night of European football.

Bet365 have plenty of live streaming for the Euro 2012 qualifiers on Tuesday. One of the most highly recommended bookmakers, Bet365 are one of the leaders for football betting, running great ongoing football betting promotions, as well as extensive market coverage. The Bet365 live in play betting is one of the most highly recommended services as well, and with a bonus of £200 worth of free bets awaiting new customers who sign up with the bookie, football betting is well done at Bet365.

Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland Betting Odds

Northern Ireland to win: 4/11 at William Hill
Draw: 9/2 at Stan James
Faroe Islands to win: 10/1 at Boylesports

This looks like a match in which Northern Ireland can get their qualification process ramped up a little bit. They have started off pretty well, winning one and drawing one in their opening two matches. After sneaking a tough 1-0 away victory in Slovenia, Northern Ireland backed it up with a resilient performance at home against Group Favourites Italy. Irish eyes were smiling as they held out for a 0-0 draw against Italy, leaving themselves nicely poised in third place in Group C with a game in hand over the two above them (Italy and Estonia). How much they can now build upon that with a second away win of the group will be very interesting, and could put them in a strong position. Against the Faroe Island, pretty much everyone expects to win. It’s a harsh thing, but one that has to be stated from your football betting strategy point of view. One thing the match will offer Northern Ireland, is the chance to run up some goals, which are much needed by them. Having scored only one, and conceded none, Northern Ireland don’t look ready to set the goal scoring charts alight, but against the Faroe Islands, they should be able to bag a few. The Faroe Islands have conceded 15 goals in four matches (all defeats) and Northern Ireland simply have to make the most of this match. They are in a tough group with Serbia, Slovenia and Italy, so there is a lot to play for. Nigel Worthington’s men can’t let the old habit of not scoring enough come back to haunt them. With David Healy, Warren Feeny and Kyle Lafferty expecting to deliver some goals between them, Northern Ireland should be able to keep up a 100% away record.
Betting tip: Northern Ireland win

Scotland v Spain Betting Odds

Scotland to win: 2/5 at Boylesports
Draw: 18/5 at Bwin
Scotland to win: 19/2 at Bwin

The last team that Scotland want to run in for qualification for a tournament would be the current World Champions, Spain. The Scots have really yet to put in an impressive performance in their three matches of qualification so far, having drawn, won and then lost. Their only victory was a close home victory over Liechtenstein, which would have been expected really, but their loss to the Czech Republic on Friday, hasn’t helped their hopes of getting out of the group, especially now having to play Spain. The only thing going for Scotland in this one, is that the match is at home, and they will have a full house being them. This is the start of a run of three consecutive matches at home in qualification, so it is an important stage of the group matches for the Scots. The Spaniards have maxed their two matches in the group so far, winning two from two, and are strong favourites to make it three from three. The problem for Scotland is finding enough goals. They didn’t deliver in qualification for the 2010 World Cup, and they look short of having enough punch to scrap their way out of this group. It is unlikely that the Scots are going to win here, and looking a the Scotland v Spain odds, there really isn’t even much hope of them grabbing a valiant home draw. The betting strategy has to be all about Spain for this one. They still ooze class, quality and have enough to beat much harder teams than Scotland. With eight goals in their two matches, including two from Fernando Torres, which may just prove what a difference being surrounded by quality makes compared to playing at Liverpool, the Spaniards will be too strong. Torres of course is missing, along with Navas and Rodriguez, but there is far too much firepower for the Scots to handle.
Betting Tip: Spain win

Switzerland v Wales Betting Odds

Switzerland to win: 1/2 at Totesport
Draw: 13/4 at Unibet
Wales to win: 7/1 at William Hill

Over in England’s group, Wales are scrapping for their qualification lives already. Having lost their opening two match, including a 1-0 home defeat against Bulgaria on Friday, the Welsh are looking low on confidence. They go into the match against Switzerland, with a pretty lousy record against the Swiss. Switzerland is usually a pretty tough place to go and break down a resilient side, and the Swiss have won four of the last five meetings between the two sides, and are currently on a three game winning streak against Wales at home. The football betting odds for Wales doesn’t look good here either, and while they need to find their goal scoring boots against an organised Swiss defence, there have been holes in the Swiss defence so far, and this is actually a fight between the bottom two sides in Group G, both of which are without a single point from two games. Someone will get a big boost here with a win, leaving the other side completely reeling at the foot of the table. Neither team are in great form, neither team are that good to be honest. So, looking at things, while Wales are well out there in the betting to win, a draw may not be a bad option for this match. Switzerland aren’t an explosive side, and Wales haven’t got a lot to shout about up front, so a scrappy draw seems more than plausible in this one.
Betting Tip: Draw

Slovakia v Ireland Betting Odds

Slovakia to win: 7/5 at Unibet
Draw: 23/10 at Boylesports
Ireland to win: 12/5 at Boylesports

Ireland usually give a good fighting account of themselves in qualification matches, and they are doing so again here. Realistically, they are up against it in terms of qualifying for Euro 2012, simply because they have Slovakia and Russia in their group. There is the look and feel that Ireland may be hanging around in third place in the group for some time, just where they are now. Better than the teams below them, but probably not quite enough to depose the other two from the top spots. So this is where things may take an interesting turn in Ireland’s qualification hopes, after they were beaten at home by Russia on Friday. After starting the group well with wins against Armenia and Andorra, this is the tough phase of the group now. They failed against Russia, and now, with a tough away trip to Slovakia, another defeat would leave them short in the race for the top after four matches, almost half way through qualification. The Irish do look to have more potency than the other home nations in this article, and they often cup up with the unexpected when they need to. However, Slovakia are a slick side, and will be a lot to handle at home, and they will be looking for a pick-me-up after a surprise 3-1 defeat t Armenia on Friday. After finding themselves 3-0 down against Russia, the Irish battled back well, but didn’t have enough in the tank to snatch what they needed. This now becomes a match in which two teams need to get back on track, and home advantage could be huge in this one. While the scenario which played out against Russia may be the story of the Irish qualification hopes, they do have hope heading to Slovakia. The two nations met in the last qualification for the European Championships, as Slovakia lost in Dublin, and then were held to a 2-2 draw at home. The draw looks a fair result here in what will probably be a close match.
Betting Tip: Draw

While England v Montenegro football betting will start hotting up after the weekend’s full coupon of Barclays Premier League fixtures, online bookamker Bet365 are once again providing a great football betting service for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers. The online bookmaker, which comes as one of the most highly recommended of betting sites available, have several matches lined up for showing on their live stream service through their website. For the October 8th fixtures, one the matches which Bet365 are streaming live is one which England fans will want to take notice of. Montenegro v Switzerland will be an interesting match to follow, as England will await Montenegro just four days later. England get a break from playing on Friday, October 8th, so they should be fit and much fresher than their opponents. After beating Switzerland, England will get a chance to look at Montenegro, a nation which they have never faced before on the international stage. It will be worth watching, as it could give some interesting insight into your betting on the England v Montenegro match when it rolls around on Tuesday, October 12th.

The full list of Euro 2012 football matches which Bet365 are streaming live on October 8th is:
Armenia v Slovakia
Kazakhstan v Belgium
Andorra v Macedonia
Montenegro v Switzerland
Serbia v Estonia
Greece v Latvia
Portugal v Denmark

Live football streaming is just one of the major perks in signing up with online bookmaker Bet365 for your football betting. The bookie also offer one of the most generous welcome bonuses when you open a new account with them. As you need to be a funded account holder to be able to enjoy the live football streams at Bet365, you get the bonus of up to £200 worth of free bets when you do open an account. For such a fantastic reward from one of the most highly recommended online bookmakers, you really cannot go wrong. With one of the most extensive sports books available, plus a wealth of sub market betting on individual matches, and a fantastic live in-play betting, service, Bet365 deliver quality, backed up with a good customer service. Bet365 also provide on-going football betting promotions which are worth taking a look over, for both the upcoming Euro 2012 fixtures and all your football betting in general from across the world..

100% Euro Soccer Bonus Accumulator
This is one for you if you like building your accumulator bets for your football. This accumulator betting offer covers the Premier League, Serie A, Primera Liga in Spain, the Bundesliga and the Champions League, and with it, you can get a bonus on top of your accumulator winnings. Basically, when you build a football accumulator from matches from any of these leagues, then the bigger the accumulator, the bigger the percentage of bonus you will earn. For example, you will get a 5% bonus on top of your winnings, if you land your treble. Hitting a five fold accumulator football bet will earn you a 10% bonus on top of your winnings. The percentage scale for this slides all the way up to a 14 fold accumulator, for which you would receive a 100% bonus.

Bore Draw Money Back promotion
This gives you coverage on football matches which end in a 0-0 draw. If you place a bet on Correct Score, Half-Time/Full-Time or Scorecast and the game peters out to scoreless draw, you will get a stake refund on those markets from Bet365, so you can pick yourself up and have another go.

First Goalscorer Places
If you have an each way bet on the First Goalscorer in a match, you will get 1/3 odds if your player doesn’t show up as the matches’ first goalscorer, but hit’s the back of the net at some point during the match. With First Goalscorer bets often hard to land, this at least offers some nice coverage.

While England fans await the arrival of Montenegro on Tuesday, there is plenty of Euro 2012 football betting to enjoy on October 8th, as well as the 12th when England play. As the Premier League takes an international break, you will need somewhere to go to enjoy your football betting, and fortunately a full coupon of international matches are there to fill in the domestic void. With Scotland in action against the Czech Republic and Spain, Wales facing Bulgaria and Switzerland in England’s group, Northern Ireland meeting Italy and the Faroe Isles, and Ireland playing Russia and Slovakia there is plenty of action to look forward to.

More infos:
Bet365 UK

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 will begin their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign at Wembley against Bulgaria in September. England were drawn in the small group for the qualification, along with Switzerland, Montenegro and Wales. The two matches against Wales will be eagerly anticipated, with a bit of home nations rivalry going on, and the two British sides go head to head in March 2011 in Cardiff. The return match will then happen six months later at Wembley, being played in September of 2011. After such a strong qualifying performance for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, England are outright favourites to win Group G of Euro 2010 qualifying. There are just eight matches for Fabio Capello to negotiate, with Switzerland, on paper, being the strongest challengers. The 2012 Euro finals will be held jointly between Poland and Ukraine, running from June 8th to July 1st.

England Euro 2012 Qualification Fixtures
Group G
England v Bulgaria, Sept 3, 2010
Switzerland v England, Sept 7, 2010
England v Montenegro, Oct 12, 2010
Wales v England, March 2011
England v Switzerland, June 4, 2011
Bulgaria v England, Sept 2, 2011
England v Wales, Sept 6, 2011
Montenegro v England, Oct 11, 2011

Group G Outright Betting
England: 2/5 at Paddy Power
Switzerland: 7/1 at Coral
Bulgaria: 12/1 at Bwin
Wales: 40/1 at Coral
Montenegro: 66/1 at Bwin

Euro 2012 Outright Winner
Spain: 5/1 at Bet365
England: 8/1 at SkyBet
Germany: 8/1 at Bet365
Italy: 9/1 at Stan James
Holland: 10/1 at Bwin
France: 12/1 at Totesport
Portugal: 14/1 at Coral
Russia: 20/1 at Bet365
Ukraine: 33/1 at Victor Chandler

Wales will look to avoid any worries over finishing with the wooden spoon, by delivering where Scotland failed, in beating Italy. How times have changed for Wales though, as just two years ago the Welsh destroyed the Italians at the Millennium Stadium on their way to a Grand Slam. Now, Wales are struggling to pick up wins, their only success coming in a last gasp attempt against the Scots, a result they were lucky to escape Murrayfield with. Coach Warren Gatland must be one of the most frustrated coaches in the Six Nations, even more so than England’s Martin Johnson. Gatland has seen his side fall foul of ill-discipline time and time again during this Six Nations campaign, and they keep digging their own holes which they cannot get out of.

Wales have not played with any of the fluency and confidence they had during their Grand Slam winning 2007 and their defence has been leaking tries. It is hard to focus on a single area in which Wales have failed, as they have only produced fleeting glimpses of their true potential, and that has come when their backs have been against the wall. They managed an unlikely comeback against the Scots, but could not claw their way back from self inflicted deficits against England, France and Ireland. The Welsh simply need to reboot, and Gatland has tried to shake things up by giving teenage winger Tom Prydie a start, after only playing in three top flight matches for his club side Ospreys. Both sides will avoid the wooden spoon if Scotland lost to Ireland as expected, but that is not what either team should be focusing on.

Both sides need to be looking forward, and Gatland is trying to keep a lot of faith in the same players that have failed throughout the championship so far. They use the same rush defence as France, but their ability to execute it as well, clearly is not there, and it is the type of thing that looks horrible when it goes wrong, as it leads to mass exposure behind the gain line. Italy coach Nick Mallett has shaken things up after probably their worst performance in the past 12 months against the French last weekend. France won 46-20 in Rome last week, but Italy’s victory over Scotland has meant that they will probably miss out on the wooden spoon. Mallett had initially made five changes to his side, but Carlo Del Fava and Paul Derbyshire, who impressed off the bench last week, will both miss out on their starts through injury. Nonetheless, Italy have every right to go into this match full of confidence that they can pick up a second win. Italy have to learn their lessons and get back to their strongest assets, their defence. There was no real shame in being undone by the French, as long as they use it a learning tool.

For the Welsh however, more will be expected. Home turf and the opportunity to go out with a final flourish, will probably save some jobs. The changes the Italians have made are quite progressive ones in taking the team forward, the Welsh need to see their players take some responsibility on their own shoulders and do what the coach is asking of them. If they can keep the ball in hand, then the Welsh should be able to break down the Italians eventually, even if it doesn’t come early on when the Italians are fresh. The Italians are renowned for picking up wins away from home, and in all likelihood they will give a good account of themselves, but finishing as the brave but losing side again. The two sides have equally bad defensive records in this year’s Six Nations, but Wales should edge it with a little more firepower.

Wales v Italy Betting Stats

Wales: 13 Victories
Drawn: 1
Italy: 2 Victories

Wales biggest winning margin v Italy: 47-8
Italy biggest winning margin v Italy: 30-22

Wales average points v Italy: 33.38
Italy average points v Wales: 18.38

2009 Six Nations Result
Italy 15, Wales 20

Match Prices
Wales to win: 1/8 at BetFred
Draw: 33/1 at Bet365
Italy to win: 9/1 at SportingBet