Ireland vs Italy
Ireland begins their World Cup preparations when they welcome the Italians to the Aviva Stadium. The visitors began their warm ups with a 25-13 loss to the Scots last weekend. They have however made wholesome changes to the team while the hosts have named a team that is far from their strongest team as they seek to finalize their squad.
These teams had vastly different Six Nations campaigns as the Irish went unbeaten to be crowned champions while Italy went winless to finish bottom of the table for the 13th straight season. The visitors will need to be at their best to avoid a cricket score in the match.
TIP: The Italians have strengthened their team from the last match and have selected most of their first team regulars while the Irish have selected mainly fringe players with just a handful of their starters in team. The Italian attack will need to show more cutting edge as they had plenty of possession against the Scottish but failed to convert it into points. The Irish will look to be more set piece orientated while Italy will want an open game. The bookies have Ireland as favorites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.02, Gbets 1.02 and Hollywoodbets 1.02
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Ireland vs Italy
- Ireland have won the last 13 matches against Italy.
- The last time Italy beat Ireland was in 2013.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat England 29-16 in their last match while Italy lost 25-13 to Scotland in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Irish have shown to be super fast starters in their matches therefore the Italian defence will need to be tuned in from the first whistle. The home side have selected a very inexperienced halfback combination in Jack Crowley and Craig Casey although they were part of the Munster team that won the URC competition. Italy have handed a debut to powerful winger Paolo Odogwu and it is hoped that he can transfer his club form onto the international stage. The visitors have a strong bench and if they can be within striking distance of Ireland in the final quarter, then we could be in for an exciting finish. I am predicting an Irish win by 16 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ireland
15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Caelan Doris, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 Joe McCarthy, 4 Iain Henderson (c), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 David Kilcoyne
Italy
15 Tommaso Allan,14 Paolo Odogwu, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Montanna Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Toa Halafihi, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Dino Lamb, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Betway 1.02
Gbets 1.02
Hollywoodbets 1.02
Odds comparison on the Italy handicap:
The complete odds on the Italy handicap:
Betway 1.90 (+24.5)
Gbets 1.87 (+24.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.89 (+24.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor returns on the Ireland outright win but if you looking for better odds then we suggest the away team on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.90 (+24.5), Gbets 1.87 (+24.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.89 (+24.5)
Other tips for the weekend (Predicted winners are in BOLD text)
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Taranaki vs Counties Manukau
Scotland vs France
Wales vs England
NZ vs Australia
Argentina vs South Africa
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Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
