The Wallabies take on the Dragons in their final pool match and there is still a lot on the line despite both teams having already qualified for the knock out stages. The loser of this match will likely face South Africa in the quarterfinals before New Zealand in the semi-finals, which gives a huge advantage to the winning side. Continue reading for our 2015 Rugby World Cup Australia vs Wales Preview and Betting Tips and stay tuned for more rugby betting tips.
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Australia vs Wales (Sunday 2.30am AEST)
The Australians have proven that they are a real force to be reckoned with in this World Cup and coach Michael Cheika needs to be given a lot of credit for turning this side around in such a short period of time. They dominated the England side in all aspects of the game and were deserved winners at Twickenham.
Their line out was solid and they were a constant threat at the breakdown with the combination of Michael Hooper and David Pocock always putting their hands on the ball. However, the most impressive part of the Wallabies game was the forward pack and their scrum. For years the Green and Gold have been known for being weak in that area but they were able to win penalty after penalty against the English Scrum. An area that was once considered their weakness is now becoming their strength. This is massive for the Wallabies, as they will no longer give away constant penalties in their own half or when they are setting up for an attack.
Unfortunately for the Wallabies their vice-captain Hooper will be suspended for the match but likely we have a strong replacement in Sean Mcmahon who has impressed for the Melbourne Rebels and for Australia when he has had his opportunities earning the man of the match award in the two tests he has played this year against the USA and Uruguay. The Welsh will attempt to fight fire with fire by naming two openside flankers in Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric.
Dean Mumm’s promotion to the starting side comes as he has been a dominant threat at the lineout. Despite only having limited minutes off the bench, he leads the tournament in lineout steals and will pose a constant threat against the Dragons throw.
The Wallabies have been too dominant in set pieces and at the breakdown this tournament to assume they will struggle on Sunday morning. Pocock has also never lost to Wales winning all eight games against them and I expect that trend to continue in a comfortable victory for the Green and Gold.
TIP: Australia -7.5 @ $1.90 with Crownbet
In the match against Fiji we picked David Pocock to be first try scorer due to the strong rolling maul of the Wallabies and he will control the ball at the back of the pack during this. We will again go to him to cross the white line first as it will be Australia’s go to if they have an opportunity deep in Welsh territory.
TIP: First Try Scorer David Pocock @ $12.00 with Sportsbet
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
