No full English ...but fiery Rieko looks tasty
BACK Kiwi try-hound Rieko Ioane to bring home the bacon – while England make another dog’s breakfast out of a World Cup.
Remember the 2015 debacle, when an overhyped, overbet England side that could look superb when winning, flopped under strain, and there were tears before bedtime?
Well all those ducks are in a row again as we head to Japan.
The good news is if there’s any blubbing in Blighty over this World Cup it’ll be mostly out of the way by lunch, thanks to the time difference.
If you like rucking and mauling with your Sugar Puffs, you’re quids in before we start.
Of the home nations, Eddie Jones’s outfit are still the best placed to go deep for punters.
Wales have lost key men. Ireland’s squad is thin. Scotland are light on star quality.
And England’s 57-15 rout of a leggy Ireland last week showed all the swagger of a side who at least believe they can rule the world. So why not back the boys in white for the jug at 4/1? Three words.
Bloody New Zealand. Frankly, what I know about the finer tactical nuances of the ‘egg chasing’ could comfortably be written on the back of, well, an egg. But the form’s idiotproof. Coach Steve Hansen has an 83 per cent win-rate against England, Wales, Ireland and South Africa.
They just stuffed ed the Aussies 36- 0 despite dropping three Galacticos. Awesome quality, awesome depth.
Grab the huge 16/ 1 that Kiwi colossus Rieko, who
Hansen is confident PUNTERS face a tricky England selection puzzle – and the answer is Manu Tuilagi at 20/1 (Skybet).
England should win at least three of their four group matches, two very comfortably – so look fair favourites to field ‘top try scorer in the Pool C’.
But who gets to gather those easy tries against the useless Yanks and teeny Tonga, and who rests?
Swerve thin-priced wingers. Wrecking ball Tuilagi (left) made bunny ears behind David Cameron’s head in 2013. He was right then. He’s right now. will be fit and firing for game one, is the top try scorer of the W World Cup. R Rotation and in injury fears haunt all rugger punts of this sort, but you’ve got a phenomenal try scorer in a pool w with the weakest m minnows, playing for the t outstanding team, nailed on to see the maximum seven games.
Get on.
South Africa wouldn’t meet the All Blacks again until the final if they also progress from Pool B.
Back brilliant Springboks booter Handre Pollard to score the most points in the tournament at 5/1 (Betfred) – he’ll probably play seven games and get every opportunity going, unlike the Kiwi candidates, who’ll likely share kicking duties around.