Betting preview: All Blacks to make it three in a row?
Ahead of the third and final Bledisloe Cup contest of the season, we look at the best bets from that game, as well as the Munster v Glasgow Warriors encounter in the PRO14.
The end-of-year internationals effectively start on Saturday as the trans-Tasman rivals go into battle for the third time in 2018. It will take place in Yokohama and New Zealand will look to increase the agony for Australia having already secured the Bledisloe Cup.
Steven Hansen’s men thrashed their opponents over successive weeks in the recent Rugby Championship to claim the trophy for the 16th consecutive year. The last time the Wallabies had hold of the Bledisloe was in 2002 and it is difficult seeing them gaining any sort of consolation in Japan this weekend.
Michael Cheika’s outfit have a slight hope in that the final match of the series has tended to be close, while their previous encounter at a neutral venue in Asia saw Australia defeat the All Blacks 26-24 in Hong Kong in 2010.
It seems unlikely that they will be able to repeat that feat, however, and the 11/100 odds given by Bet365 for Hansen’s charges to beat their opponents is representative of that. Should you believe that an upset is possible, though, Betway are offering 7/1 for Australia to shock their closest rivals.
Hansen has made a few changes by giving an opportunity to Damian McKenzie at full-back and TJ Perenara at scrum-half but Rieko Ioane remains and the outstanding wing is 7/1 to touch down first.
Unsurprisingly, New Zealand dominate the shorter odds in that market but Israel Folau, playing at 13, is a tempting 16/1 (Bet365), while Marika Koroibete is also at 16s with Coral.
The standout fixture in the PRO14 as the two teams look to build on their excellent results in the Champions Cup last weekend. Although both sides failed to win in the opening round, they made up for that as Munster comfortably defeated Gloucester and Glasgow overcame Cardiff Blues.
It means that they go into the game full of confidence but, with the internationals on the horizon, this is a crucial match.
It is certainly a far more important encounter for the hosts, who go into it having lost three of their six contests, leaving them 10 points behind Saturday’s opponents. The Warriors, meanwhile, have only succumbed once, albeit it was a surprising 38-28 defeat to South African minnows Southern Kings in September.
League form would therefore dictate that the Scottish outfit should go in as favourites, but Johann van Graan’s men lifted their performance levels significantly in Europe and will expect to take that momentum into the game at Thomond Park.
Bet365 have them at 3/10 to beat the visitors, while Dave Rennie’s charges are seen as 14/5 outsiders with Unibet to take their sixth PRO14 victory of the campaign.
However, if Munster produce the sort of intensity they displayed against Exeter and Gloucester then the home team should emerge triumphant and it is 4/1 (BetVictor) for them to win by a margin of 6-10 points.