Six Nations Betting Tips

Spring is on the way, and with that so is The Six Nations. With the World Cup approaching later in the year, this year's instalment is the final chance for the nations to play genuinely competitive rugby in preparation for the big event. England remain the World Champions, but how they have fallen from grace. Four years ago they were the very best team in the world, securing a Grand Slam as well as the Webb Ellis Trophy, but now they are floundering down at seventh in the world rankings. At least there has now been an acknowledgement that all is not well at Twickenham, and Andy Robinson has finally been replaced as head coach, a decision we feel was long overdue. The man stepping into the breach is the highly respected Brian Ashton. He has been perennially touted as an attacking visionary and this ought to be promising news for an England side that has long looked devoid of ideas behind the scrum. However, Ashton was already a part of the coaching set up that conceded meekly to Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa in the last eight months and so is it really realistic to hope he can turn things around? His squad selection is interesting, and his penchant for flair is well illustrated by the inclusion of fly halves Shane Geraghty and Toby Flood at the expense of the more solid Andy Goode. One of these two youngsters is expected to start at number ten, and the uncapped Andy Farrell is a likely starter at inside centre. Farrell's inclusion is undoubtedly exciting, but also a clear gamble. He is still getting used to the nuances of rugby union although has an abundance of big game experience from his days as a rugby league player. If there is one thing England needs it is leadership and Farrell is as good as they come in this aspect. Phil Vickery is the new captain but it would be foolish to expect things to suddenly be remedied. England have lost eight of their last nine tests and are low on confidence. An opening day encounter with Scotland at Twickenham is a must win contest but will be far from easy. Ashton may be talented, but he is not a magician. It is worth pointing out that when he was head coach of Ireland (his only previous international head coaching position) in 1997 he oversaw a terrible run of results and was forced to leave after just one year of a six year contract after coming last in the Five Nations. Ireland are favourites for the title, at a best price of 13/8 and are seeking glory for the first time since 1985. The schedule sees them at home (Croke Park while Lansdowne Road is being rebuilt) against England and France which ought to give them a great chance. A trip to Cardiff on the first weekend is a tough prospect though and proved their undoing two years ago when they were also favourites for glory. However, they have a settled squad and an abundance of ability throughout. If ever they are going to do it, this is the time. They have outstanding players in key positions and a unity that must be the envy of the other countries. An autumn win against Australia was deserved and a signal to the world that they are a force. Last season's triple crown was well earned too, and we feel they are probably only behind New Zealand in quality at the present time. Having finished second for the last three seasons, last season level on points with champions France, this is the best chance the Irish have ever had. 13/8 is not a big price, but they are the class outfit in this tournament. The first game in Cardiff is a crucial one but with Wales fielding what will have to be a virtual second string backline, we expect Brian O'Driscoll to lead his charges to victory there, and all the way to the Championship. France are always a dangerous team, but they also are in something of a slump despite winning three titles in the last five years. They were twice thrashed by New Zealand in November and will not relish away days at Ireland and England this time around. Bernard Laporte has also hinted that he is prepared to experiment with players with one eye on the World Cup and this lack of immediate focus could be punished. Wales are priced at 11/2. They, like Ireland, have a fairly settled set-up with a good amount of experience. In addition to this they have the brightest young player in the game, James Hook, a fly half/inside centre who is set to make a huge impact on this tournament. Two years ago wit this rotation of fixtures Wales were 50/1 for the Grand Slam which they went on to claim. This time they are priced at 20/1 and after three wins out of four during the autumn international series there is plenty of belief at the Millennium Stadium. Unfortunately for coach Gareth Jenkins there is a long injury list to contend with, especially in the backs. Tom Shanklin, Shane Williams, Mark Jones, Lee Byrne and Sonny Parker are all unavailable, whilst Gareth Thomas could be suspended following his part in the disgraceful scenes at the Toulouse vs Ulster game last weekend. Gavin Henson is another doubt and with all these key players absent we find it hard to put our money behind them. Italy should not be underestimated and while challenging for the Championship would be an enormous step forward, we expect them to win more than one game for the first time. With home matches against France and Ireland, they can really make a statement and have the all round game to push the likes of England and Scotland on the road as they proved with a draw in Wales last year. Italian players have been superb in the Heineken Cup this year, with prop Martin Castrogiovanni and second row Marco Bortolami in formidable form for Leicester and Gloucester respectively. In the autumn they were narrowly edged out by Australia and a rampant Argentina and have been consistently improving for the last few years, first under John Kirwan and now Pierre Berbizier. 200/1 is a massive price and we can't resist a small nibble on a team that was far better than the single point they claimed last season would suggest. Scotland will be keen to make the most of their chance to take on England in the first week, and a first win at Twickenham since 1983 is plausible. However, an injury to talismanic flanker Jason White is a massive loss, and we don't expect the Scots to finish in the top three. They are priced at a best of 33/1 with StanJames. We feel the tournament is open this year, with Ireland having the edge over the other teams. The prospect of no Grand Slam is possible though, with all teams capable of beating one another on any given day. All matches will be competitive and Italy could just emerge from the pack and cause a major shock.Click here to see all our free bets on the 6 nations