Ireland U20 vs Italy U20
Double defending champions Ireland welcome Italy in this second-round match in the U20 Six Nations Championship. The home side pulled off the upset of the first round when they won away to World Champions France. The key to their victory was that many of their championship winning team of last season were still in the squad. They were not overwhelmed by the occasion before coming away with a 37-31 win. Italy on the other hand were trounced 37-11 by England in their own backyard. They will be looking for a massive improvement from both the forwards and their backline.
TIP: One of the most pleasing aspects of Irelands victory was the way their forward pack stood up to and often overpowered the much heavier French pack. Italy will be weary of the Irish pack as they lay the platform from which most of their attacks are launched. They will need to be very disciplined especially in their own half as the boot of flyhalf Jack Murphy is deadly accurate. 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 (1.04), Gbets (1.04) and Hollywoodbets (1.03)
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
Ireland U20 vs Italy U20
- Ireland have won the last six matches between the sides.
- The last time Italy beat Ireland was in 2017.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat France 37-31 in their last match while Italy lost 36-11 to England in their last match.
PREDICTION
Ireland have always been a forward dominated team but they showed the other side of their attack against France as they ran the ball from deep within their own half. They were superbly led by Murphy who linked up brilliantly with their backline which included the likes of Finn Treacy and Hugo McLaughlin. Treacy in particular looks to be a future star with his blistering pace and even more impressive sidestep. Italy will need to offer more in attack and may look at making some changes in their backline. I am predicting an Irish win by more than 20 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ireland U20
15. Ben O’Connor, 14. Finn Treacy, 13. Wilhelm de Klerk, 12. Hugh Gavin, 11. Hugo McLaughlin, 10. Jack Murphy, 9. Oliver Coffey; 1. Alex Usanov, 2. Danny Sheahan, 3. Andrew Spicer, 4. Alan Spicer, 5. Evan O’Connell (c), 6. Joe Hopes, 7. Bryn Ward, 8. Brian Gleeson
Italy U20
15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Marco Scalabrin, 13 Federico Zanandrea, 12 Nicola Bozzo, 11 Lorenzo Elettri, 10 Martino Pucciariello, 9 Lorenzo Casilio; 1 Federico Pisani, 2 Nicholas Gasperini, 3 Marcos Gallorini, 4 Tommaso Redondi, 5 Giacomo Milan, 6 Piero Gritti, 7 Luca Bellucci, 8 Jacopo Botturi
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Betway (1.04)
Gbets (1.04)
Hollywoodbets (1.03)
Odds comparison on the Ireland handicap:
The complete odds on the Ireland handicap:
Betway 1.90 (-18.5)
Gbets 1.90 (-18.5)
Hollywoodbets1.89 (-18.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor odds on the Ireland outright win therefore we suggest backing the home team on the handicap for better odds. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.90 (-18.5), Gbets 1.90 (-18.5) and Hollywoodbets1.89 (-18.5)
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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.
