Ireland vs New Zealand
It’s the match of the tournament as number one ranked Ireland take on New Zealand in the second quarter final. The Irish have been the best team in the world over the past two years and are on a 15 match winning streak. History is however not on their side as they have never progressed beyond the quarter finals while the All Blacks have been crowned champions three times. New Zealand have made some strange calls by dropping Mark Telea for breaking curfew rules and have selected Finlay Christie on the bench ahead of the impressive Cam Roigard.
TIP: Ireland are in the fortunate position of being able to announce the same team that dismantled Scotland last time out. The All Blacks will feel the pressure is not on them and this may lead to them playing an expansive game which may be necessary to break down the strong Irish defence. The match will be won in the forwards and Ireland seem to have the edge in this department especially at scrum time with Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter. 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 1.75, Gbets 1.75 and Hollywoodbets 1.75
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
Ireland vs New Zealand
- Ireland have won three of the last four matches against the All Blacks.
- The last time the sides met at the World Cup. New Zealand won 46-14.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat New Zealand 32-22 in their last match while New Zealand beat Uruguay 73-0 in their last match.
PREDICTION
Ireland have had the advantage over the All Blacks in recent matches but they will want revenge for the 46-14 mauling they received at the 2019 World Cup. There are many head mouth watering head to head clashes but none more so than Johnny Sexton up against Richie Mo’unga. The winner of this contest will go a long way to deciding which team comes out on top. The Irish backline with Sexton at the helm looks a well-oiled machine that is incredible difficult to stop. The All Blacks defence will need to be on top form from the first whistle otherwise this match could be over very early as a contest. I am predicting an Irish win by 13 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Ireland
15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Iain Henderson, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
New Zealand
15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Betway 1.75
Gbets 1.75
Hollywoodbets 1.75
Odds comparison on the Ireland handicap:
The complete odds on the Ireland handicap:
Betway 1.90 (-2.5)
Gbets 1.87 (-2.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-2.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor returns on the Ireland outright win therefore we suggest backing them on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.90 (-2.5), Gbets 1.87 (-2.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.89 (-2.5)
Other tips for the weekend (Predicted winners are in BOLD text)
Bristol Bears vs Leicester Tigers
Exeter vs Saracens
Wellington vs Hawkes Bay
Wales vs Argentina
France vs South Africa
Fiji vs England
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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.
