Wales v Ireland 2013 Six Nations rugby betting is the fixture that will kick off the new season of the exciting championship. The game will kick off on February 2nd at 1:30pm GMT. The Welsh take on Ireland at the Millennium Stadium and it brings together two sides who failed to live up to a lot of expectation last season. Wales are the reigning Six Nations champions, taking the Grand Slam last season to get their hands on the title. Last season the Welsh squeezed out a thrilling 23-21 win in Dublin, their third successive win over the Irish, and after a stretch of defeats after claiming last year’s Championship, it will be important for the Welsh to get off to a strong start on home soil.
Wales are currently on a seven International Test Match losing streak, with some hugely disappointing result on home turf against Samoa and Argentina in the Autumn. Ahead of 2013 Six Nations Rugby betting, the biggest news from Wales has been their injury list, which seems to get longer and longer, not giving them the idea preparation for their title defence. Head coach Warren Gatland was absent through the Autumn as he was working on the British Lions and their Tour this year, leaving Rob Howley in charge. Defensively the Welsh looked a bit all over the place and there will be gaps in their back line for others to expose. They do have one of the more dynamic packs when they can field a full strength front eight, but with personnel changes, it could take them awhile to get some momentum this season.
But in Wales v Ireland rugby betting, the home side has to take some precedence. They have won the last three against the Irish and the last time they met in Cardiff was in march of 2011 when they ran out 19-13 winners. Ireland suffered a tough 2012 as well. Not only did they underperform in the Six Nations, with basic mistakes plaguing them, they went on a five match losing streak after the Championship. Only an impressive win over Argentina to round off the Autumn series (a game which just kept Ireland in the top eight of the world rankings) put some gloss on their 2012. The Irish are struggling for their identity at the moment and could be ripe for the picking for Wales. Ireland though have won on two of their last three visits to the Millennium Stadium and with coach Declan Kidney keeping his options open with a big training squad, they will be combative. However, they may have more work to do to find their feet than Wales will in front of their home support.
The head to head for Wales v Ireland standings at 65 wins for wales, 47 for Ireland and six draws. The average points difference between the two sides when they meet is just over 1 per game, with Wales averaging 11.81 points per game and the Irish putting up on average 10.68 per game in meetings.
Wales v Ireland Six Nations Rugby Betting Odds at online bookmaker Paddy Power
Wales 4/6, Ireland 6/5, Draw 20/1
Taking the average points difference between the two sides into account, the handicap for the match stand at 2, with a +2 on Ireland trading at a price of 10/11 with online bookmaker Paddy Power, and a Wales -2 at the same price.
Get some great live in-running rugby betting at online bookmaker Paddy Power for the opener of the 2013 Six Nations. New customers to the bookie can also get their hands on a free £50 bet to use for their Wales v Ireland rugby betting as well. Register a new account with Paddy Power and they will match the value of your first stake with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50!
