Wales vs New Zealand
Wales welcome the All Blacks to Cardiff on Saturday knowing they have mountain to climb as they have lost a record 31 consecutive matches against them. The chances of victory in this match are very slim as they have a number of players out with injury. Their problems are compounded by the unavailability of players due to the match falling outside the period allowed for international tests. New Zealand has almost a full strength squad to choose from and they are in red hot form having won the Rugby Championship and thumping USA last week. Wales are a little under cooked for this encounter as they have not played international rugby since July. The All Blacks have skipper Sam Whitelock back after he missed the Rugby Championship and the battle between him and Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones will be one for the ages.
TIP: This match heavily favours the All Blacks as a total of 20 players are unavailable for Wales. The home team are renowned for being a great defensive team and they will need to be at their defensive best to stop a rampant All Blacks team. The visitors have threats throughout their team with Beauden Barrett pulling the strings at 10 and for the Welsh to have any realistic chance of winning they will need to slow the ball and the game down. A very open game will suit the All Blacks as they are the best in the world with turnover ball. Wales flyhalf Gareth Anscombe will be in for some special treatment as many of the All Blacks were his teammates when he played in New Zealand. The bookies have New Zealand as heavy favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.04, Playabets 1.01 and Sunbet 1.03
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Wales vs New Zealand
- New Zealand has won their last 31 matches against Wales.
- Wales last beat the All Blacks in 1953.
- Wales biggest defeat at home to the All Blacks was by a 23 point margin.
Latest results for both teams
Wales lost their last match 33-11 to Argentina while New Zealand beat the USA 104-14 in their last match.
PREDICTION
The All Blacks will be confident of another win against Wales as this has become the norm while Wales will be desperate to end their 58 year wait for a win against NZ. The All Blacks will want to play their open, running game while the Welsh will rely more on accurate kicking for territory. The biggest threats in this game will be the NZ back three where Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane have been in excellent try scoring form. Wales have their own world class winger in Josh Adams who will be testing the All Blacks defence and I will be looking to him to dominate Jordan in the aerial contests. All the hard work will once again be done by the forwards and NZ certainly have the edge in this area. I expect them to also dominate the scrums. The All Blacks will cruise to victory by 17 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Wales
15 Johnny McNicholl, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Taine Basham, 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 4 Adam Beard, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Wyn Jones
New Zealand
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 David Havili, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Samuel Whitelock (c), 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the New Zealand victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.04
Playabets 1.01
Sunbet 1.03
Odds comparison on the Wales handicap :
The complete odds on the Wales handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+26.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+27.5) 1.90
Playabets +27.5) 1.80
Predictions and Odds in details
There are so many interesting match ups in this match but the standout is between Jones and Whitelock. They are two of the best locks and captains in the game and neither will give an inch. The battle at lineout is crucial in this game as the majority of the All Blacks tries originate from the lineout. Wales need to treasure possession as any errors will be provide NZ with turnover ball which they are so dangerous with. This is a great opportunity for the inexperienced Welsh players to make a name for themselves in front of a capacity home crowd. There are not great returns on the All Blacks outright victory therefore I suggest the home team on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+26.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+27.5) 1.90 and Playabets +27.5) 1.80
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.
