Northampton Saints vs Racing 92
10th December 2000hrs
Rugby – England – Heineken Cup
Pick Home Win
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 13/10 odds taken 22:23 GMT on December 7th, 2021
The opening fixture of the 2021/22 Heineken Cup kicks off on Friday night from Franklin’s Gardens.
Premiership side Northampton Saints will be playing host to French Top 14 side Racing 92 in what looks set to be a tight opener.
The Saints have failed to get the better of Racing 92 from four previous meetings, can they get off the mark against them?
Table of Contents
Northampton Saints Preview – Saints need a strong start
Can Northampton Saints get themselves off to a positive start in this tough Heineken Cup Pool stage?
Along with Racing 92, the Saints will also face Ulster.
For Friday night’s match, the Saints at least get the home advantage as they seek their first victory over this particular opponent.
The bookmakers are eying this one up as a close game.
In the match outright for Heineken Cup rugby betting, the win for the Saints is at a quote of 13/10* (odds recorded 22:23 GMT on December 7th, 2021 at William Hill)
It has been four previous meetings that Northampton have had with Racing 92 and they have a D1 L3 record against them.
The last time that the two met was in 2015 when there was a dramatic 9-9 draw at Franklin’s Gardens
Northampton’s home record against French opponents is good.
Northampton have suffered just two defeats in their last dozen European Champions Cup home matches against Top 14 opposition (W9 D1).
There has been some recent positive form from the Saints.
After losing four in a row in all competitions, they have responded with back to back league wins in the Premiership.
Those were high-scoring efforts against Bristol and Bath, Northampton posting at least 36 points in both of those.
Since the start of the new season, Northampton are W4 L2 on home turf.
One of those losses at Franklin’s Gardens was in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Racing 92 Preview – French side the narrow favourites
It’s hard not to recognise the threat that Racing 92 are going to bring to the table. They like to play an open game.
Racing 92 have reached the final of the European Champions Cup in three of the last six seasons.
While the title eluded them on each occasion, they will pose a threat.
In the match, outright Racing 92 are a quote of 4/6 in rugby betting for the match win* (odds recorded 22:23 GMT on December 7th, 2021 at William Hill)).
They bowed out in the quarter-finals of last season’s Heineken Cup.
It was a defeat against fellow Top 14 side Bordeaux that saw Racing 92 eliminated.
Despite not going any further, Racing still finished the campaign with more points and more tries recorded than any other team in the competition.
Racing 92 averaged 38 points per game in last season’s competition. They had an average of 4.5 tries per match.
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Racing 92 however, do not arrive in top form at the moment as there have been league struggles for them.
They have won only one of their last five Top 14 matches, losing their last three in a row.
Notably, despite being known for their free-scoring ethos, Racing 92 have not been troubling the scoreboard recently.
In none of their last three matches have they managed more than 14 points in a game.
The French side may have their work cut out for them on Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens.
Northampton Saints vs Racing 92 Betting Advice
Racing 92 won their first trip to Franklin’s Gardens convincingly in 2015 but were held to a draw on their second visit.
For Friday night’s game, there is a chance that Northampton can get that elusive first win against Racing 92.
The Saints have taken a good home record this season overall winning four of their five Premiership fixtures there (L1).
So they may be able to squeeze through.
So the Northampton Saints outright at 13/10 is the first rugby betting selection* (odds recorded 22:23 GMT on December 7th, 2021 at William Hill)).
Key Facts – Northampton Saints vs Racing 92 Betting Tip
- Northampton Saints are D1 L3 against Racing 92
- Northampton Saints have won 5 of 6 Premiership home fixtures this season
- Racing 92 have reached three of the last six Heineken Cup Finals
The dip in form from Racing 92 over the last month or so can’t be ignored. It hints that something may be off with four losses in their last five road games.
Racing 92 can’t be written off, so it probably is worth keeping the margins fairly narrow for the fixture.
A Northampton Saints 1-7 winning margin at 13/5 piques some rugby betting interest* (odds recorded 22:23 GMT on December 7th, 2021 at William Hill)).
The best betting odds for Northampton Saints vs Racing 92
Northampton Saints to win: 13/10 at Bet365
Draw: 20/1 at Bet365
Racing 92 to win: 4/6 at Bet365
