Ireland vs South Africa
Ireland and South Africa meet in the first of the U20 Rugby World Cup semi-finals. The hosts got in through the back door by coming from behind to beat Argentina in their final group match while the Irish easily won their group despite them drawing their first match against the old foe England.
The home team can thank their number 8 Corne Beets as he was the hero of the last match with two late tries to guide them to the top of the group. The Irish has little trouble in their last match as they saw off a spirited Fijian side 47-27.
TIP: The South Africans have again kept faith with the same team and go into the match unchanged. The Irish gave a number of their first team regulars a rest in the last match and will no doubt be the fresher team in this match. The home side have been bullied in the scrums during the competition and we can expect the Irish to target this area and the lineouts. The bookies have Ireland as favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.35, Gbets 1.35 and Hollywoodbets 1.33
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Ireland vs South Africa
- The Junior Boks have won the last two meetings between the teams
- The last time Ireland beat South Africa was in 2012.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat Fiji 47-27 in their last match while South Africa beat Argentina 24-16 in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Irish have shown through this competition why they are the Six Nations champions as they have been calm under pressure led by the brilliant Sam Prendergast at flyhalf. He controls the game expertly belying his age and always seems to make the right decisions at the crucial point. The Junior Boks looked at their best when they ran the ball but too often, they were hasty and lost possession. The chief culprit was scrumhalf Imad Khan, if he can improve his passing and speed of ball they could trouble the Irish. The overall strength of the visitors makes me predict an Irish win by 10 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ireland
15 Henry McErlean, 14 Andrew Osborne, 13 Hugh Gavin, 12 John Devine, 11 James Nicholson, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Fintan Gunne, 8 Brian Gleeson, 7 Ruadhan Quinn, 6 James McNabney, 5 Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 4 Charlie Irvine, 3 Ronan Foxe, 2 Gus McCarthy, 1 Paddy McCarthy
South Africa
15 Hakeem Kunene, 14 Jurenzo Julius, 13 Katlego Letebele, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Michael Annies, 10 Jean Smith, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Corne Beets, 7 Ghudian van Reenen, 6 Paul de Villiers (captain), 5 Jacob van Heerden, 4 Coetzee le Roux, 3 Dian Heunis, 2 Juan Else, 1 Cornè Lavagna.
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Betway 1.35
Gbets 1.35
Hollywoodbets 1.33
Odds comparison on the Ireland handicap:
The complete odds on the Ireland handicap:
Betway 1.90 (-7.5)
Gbets 1.87 (-7.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-7.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are decent 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 (-7.5), Gbets 1.87 (-7.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-7.5)
Other tips for the weekend (Predicted winners are in BOLD text)
Ireland vs South Africa
France vs England
New Zealand vs Australia
Georgia vs Wales
Italy vs Fiji
Argentina vs Japan
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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.
