Before you Bet finished with a 4-1 record in our World Cup previews of the Wallabies and we'll look to continue the momentum onto the Semi-Finals. We have a preview of both clashes between New Zealand and England on Saturday night and Wales taking on South Africa on Sunday.
2019 Rugby World Cup Semi Final Betting Tips
New Zealand vs England
Saturday 21st September (7pm AEDT)
The two-time defending champs looked a class above on Saturday night as they cruised to a 46-14 win over Ireland. Aaron Smith dominated the early stages with a double and it was pretty much game over after 40 minutes with the All Blacks up 22-0 at the half. So England stands in their way of a third straight World Cup finals appearance.
England's impressive 2019 World Cup campaign continued with another easy victory over the Wallabies. Jonny May scored a double in the space of 3 minutes during the first half as England led 17-9 at the half. Australia cut the margin to a point early in the second half but it was all England after that stage. They dominated field position and possession with just simply smart Rugby as they outlasted them 40-16. Eddie Jones has taken this team to another level and they'll be well equipped to take on the mighty All Blacks.
In the history of the World Cup, these two countries have met on 3 occasions and the All Blacks have won all 3 meetings. More recently, New Zealand also have proved too good for England with 6 wins on the trot and a 15-1 record since 2004. Considering 5 of the last 6 meetings have been decided by a 1-12 margin in New Zealand's favour, we find it hard to back against them with $2.60 value odds. We can't see England getting blown off the park like Ireland were last week but the All Blacks are just a class above the competition at the moment and should close out a 1-12 victory this Saturday night.
Wales vs South Africa
Sunday 22nd September (8pm AEDT)
The Welsh survived a nail-biting contest against France last week with a 1 point victory. They started nervously with an early 12-0 deficit but Aaron Wainwright got Wales back into the contest with an impressive solo effort. France were reduced to 14 men in the second half and Wales really took advantage. So if the Welsh can improve their starting 20 minutes on Sunday, they're a real chance of an upset.
South Africa had the tough task of playing the host nation and it's difficult not to be impressed by their 26-3 win. Their defence was top-notch as the Japanese continually threw the ball around to unsettle the South African defensive line. But the Springboks were too good and reached their 5th WC Semi-final with the 23 point win. Makazole Mapimpi had a field day on the edges with a 2 try performance and he'll be a player to watch on Sunday night.
Overall, the Springboks have enjoyed a 28-6-1 advantage over Wales since 1906. However, Wales has turned the tables in the last decade with 4 straight wins and a 5-1 record since 2014. While in World Cup meetings, South Africa beat Wales in 2015 by 4 points and they also met in 2011 with another close Springboks victory (17-16). This World Cup meeting has a similar feel about it. Both sides are great defensively and will look to turn this into a battle of field position. So we have to like the value for either team reaching the final by a margin of under 9 points. It's saluted in both World Cup meetings and holds a 5-2 record when these two sides play each other since 2014.
Either team under 8.5
$2.35
