Betting preview: Ireland and England to open with wins
Ahead of the action in Round One of the Six Nations, we take a look at the best bets from two of the big games taking place this weekend.
Ireland v Scotland
It is all change when these two Celtic nations go head-to-head in Dublin on Saturday, looking to begin their tournament with a positive result.
For Ireland, they have a new head coach in the shape of Andy Farrell, who will look to revive their fortunes after a poor World Cup, while Scotland have completely altered their team for this encounter.
There are 10 changes from the side that were ousted by Japan in the group stages, with number eight Nick Haining making his debut and centre Huw Jones returning to the starting line-up for the upcoming contest.
Pressure is on Gregor Townsend, who was heavily criticised following their exit from the global competition, and he needs his squad to display their capabilities in the opening round of the Six Nations.
They may well have a chance with the Irish in a similar state of uncertainty, but the bookmakers disagree. Various companies have the hosts down as 1/8 favourites and it is probably due to their consistency in selection.
While they have a new coaching staff, it is predominantly the squad which has been successful internationally (the World Cup disappointment notwithstanding) over the past few years. There is a debutant in Caelan Doris, while previous captain Rory Best has retired, but the XV has a familiar look to it and that should benefit the home team.
The bookies certainly think so with Scotland a lengthy 11/2 at Bet365, Ladbrokes and Coral to claim the win. They also believe that Jacob Stockdale will enjoy himself on Saturday with the wing 7/1 to touch down first, but someone like Rob Herring might be a more interesting bet. Ireland are strong at the maul and, looking to lay down a marker under their new boss, they may opt for the corner if awarded an early penalty, giving the hooker, who is 18/1 (Sky Bet), a chance to cross the whitewash.
France v England
The biggest game of the weekend takes place on Sunday as a youthful France side attempt to usher in a new era by defeating their big rivals England.
Fabien Galthie has been tasked with the job of turning things around and he is joined in the coaching staff by former Wales defence guru Shaun Edwards.
They have plenty of talent to work with over the coming weeks but the team lacks experience and that may well be exposed by the 2019 Rugby World Cup finalists.
This is the Red Rose’s first game since that crushing defeat to South Africa in the showpiece event and it will be interesting to see how they respond. Ordinarily, they would be overwhelming favourites but the uncertainty surrounding the hosts, combined with a couple of key injuries for the Englishmen, has seen the bookmakers take a slightly more cautious approach.
A variety of companies have them down at 4/7, which is a rather short price for the runners-up from the global tournament, but it is understandably a difficult one to call.
For the first time in a while there is an air of positivity emanating from the French, who have named a very gifted 23-man squad for this weekend’s clash. As a result, they are 8/5 with Bet365 and William Hill to cause a shock at the Stade de France.
Galthie will also be determined to see his side start well and, if they can find their rhythm early on, then their backline will be difficult to stop. In Teddy Thomas and Damian Penaud they have two lethal wingers and the duo are both 12/1 with Sky Bet to touch down first.