The 2016 Rugby Championship returns this weekend and New Zealand basically have both hands on the trophy after ending the first four rounds with bonus point victories. Continue reading for our Rugby Championship Round 5 Preview and Betting Tips.
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South Africa vs Australia (Sunday 1.05am AEST)
The Springboks will enter this match with just one win in their opening four matches of the Rugby Championships and they have lost against all sides. It is arguably their worst Rugby Championships ever and the side isn’t look strong at all.
Three weeks ago it was the Wallabies who came out on top as they won 23-17 as they snapped a big losing streak. The win wasn’t exactly pretty but it was a lot of improvement from the games against New Zealand. It has eased the pressure off of Michael Cheika and the side was able to back up that victory with another one against the Pumas. It looked as if they could have ran away with the match as they raced out to a 21-0 lead but disaster struck when David Pocock broke his hand. He will miss the remainder of the Rugby Championships and it is a huge blow for the Wallabies but they will be able to continue to blood Sean McMahon who is a handy replacement.
The Springboks were forced to do three long trips in a row and it showed in their last match against the All Blacks. They were competitive throughout the first 40-minutes but fell away in the second half to have a big score put on them. They will be better after the extra week’s rest and the Wallabies will struggle on the road, as they always do in South Africa. However, we are predicting them to snap this streak and continue the Springboks troubles.
TIP: Wallabies 1-12 @ $3.70 with CrownBet
Argentina vs New Zealand (Sunday 8.10am AEST)
New Zealand will be playing just their second match away from home this Rugby Championships after playing three straight on home soil. However, we don’t expect them to suffer a shocking loss but we are predicting a closer match. The Pumas play much better on home soil and are notorious for keeping the match tight against New Zealand. They were able to do this against the All Blacks in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago but a late couple of tries made the score board favour the home side.
The Pumas have had an impressive Rugby Championships as they earned a victory against South Africa at home and were minutes away from doing it on the road. A poor start cost them against the Wallabies and we are predicting them to be switched on to start this contest.
However, the All Blacks are a class above every other rugby team in the world and there is a reason why they are on such a long winning streak. They will cruise to victory but it will be a closer than expected scoreline.
TIP: Argentina +19.5 @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
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!
