Rugby World Cup

[admin]

The Rugby World Cup kicks off this Friday when the All Blacks play Tonga at Eden Park. The All Blacks start as the tournament favourites with Australia deemed to be their biggest threat.

You can view the full match schedule here:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/ru.../schedule-date

Below are the latest tournament and pool winner odds (subject to change).



The tournament kicks off with a string of lopsided fixtures. For this reason only two of the eight opening games have head to head odds. Below are the latest odds for the opening matches (subject to change).

[qtip]

My plays so far for the tournament are:

Tonga +65 @ 1.90
South Africa h2h @ 1.19
Australia to win the tournament @ 4.90

My Australia bet is with Betfair, so I may lay if/when the odds drop a bit. If things go well I will hold off and perhaps lay if it is a NZ/Aus final.

I'm now considering whether or not to also back South Africa -13. I hesitate because they didn't score a try in their last two Tests, but they did rack up a healthy number of points against the ABs through their kicking game.

Actually, South Africa to win Pool D @ 1.23 is a better play than South Africa h2h against Wales @ 1.19, because surely if South Africa beats Wales they should win the pool.

What is everyone else thinking?

[pominoz]

Good luck with your picks qtip, they look good. Argentina +13.5 against England would be one of my picks.

Tonga has shifted to +61, perhaps because of NZ's back line shake up.

I'm looking forward to the Haka vs the Sipi Tau (Tongan war dance) tomorrow. Here's a clip from another time they went head to head.

[Goodsy]

Ive put $5 on AllBlacks -60.5 @1.90

Im expecting AB to come out and make a statement in the 1st game. While it wont mean much against a weaker team, I just think that the AB are keen to make a big statement to the other top teams and come out firing.

[pominoz]

You could well be right Goodsy. Remember when the ABs destroyed Italy 101–3 in the 1999 RWC?

I think the Kiwis hold the overall RWC record with 145–17 over Japan in 1995.

Argentina v England is the game I'm most interested in out of the opening fixtures. I think the 5.25 odds on Argentina are a tad harsh. I think they're capable of giving England a scare.

[rotten_luck]

im finding the line really hard to pick for nz v tonga

last time they played in 2003 nz won 91-7, but an article in the nz press tips the abs to win by 13 !!

[Goodsy]

NZ 41- 10 Tonga

Nice job to those who went Tonga with the start...

Upon hindsight that was probably the bette rbet.. being played in Sth Pacific and a few Tongans in NZ... Tonga would want to have played their best in front of family and friends (as well as AB). Didnt really thinkm of that before hand..... hindsight, makes us all better off.....

[digga1799]

i like scotland and fiji with the minus and japan with the plus

[flogger]

I can see clearly now. Ireland will take it all the way.

Those hotel charges are really high, especially the finals is coming.

[Nelson123]

Nice job to those who went Tonga with the start...