After three thrilling opening matches, the second round of Six Nations fixtures take place this weekend. Wales, Ireland and England got off to winning starts, while France grabbed a bonus point in their narrow home defeat against the Irish.
This weekend, Ireland and Italy get things up and running in Dublin before the blockbuster clash at Twickenham Stadium between the English and the Welsh. Meanwhile, France travel to Edinburgh to play Scotland on Sunday.
- Ireland v Italy – Ireland to Win -32 (10/11 at Betfred)
- England v Wales – England to be Winning at Half Time and Full Time (1/2 at Bet365)
- Scotland v France – France to Win (2/1 at Bet365)
Ireland v Italy – 10th February
Ireland welcome Italy to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this Saturday to kick-start the second round of matches. Despite leaving it late to win in the Stade de France last weekend, Joe Schmidt’s boys head into this one as the overwhelming favourites to seal all five points on offer.
The Irish had Johnny Sexton’s brilliance to thank for their win in Saint-Denis. The Leinster fly-half bagged 15 points for his country, with his last-gasp drop goal turning defeat into a win. As for Italy, although they had a couple of good moments against England in Rome, Conor O’Shea’s men were well beaten by the tournament favourites in the end.
Ireland will be looking for a big win on home soil, especially after seeing Wales and England pick up five points each last weekend. Italy will want to frustrate, like they did against England, but this should be a stroll in the park for the Irish. With that in mind, take a punt on Betfred’s tempting price of 10/11 for the hosts to win with a -32 point handicap this Saturday.
Ireland to Win -32 – 10/11 at Betfred
England v Wales – 10th February
The standout match in the Six Nations this weekend comes from Twickenham as Eddie Jones’ England welcome Warren Gatland’s Wales to London. These two rivals have played out several ding-dong battles over the years, with this one expected to be no different. With the match taking place in the English capital, the hosts are the strong favourites here.
England were made to work hard by Italy for their points last weekend, despite going on to win by 31 in Rome. Victory in the Stadio Olimpico was Jones’ 10th win in 11 Six Nations games. Wales, who went into this tournament as underdogs, were outstanding against Scotland in Cardiff last Saturday. Tries by Leigh Halfpenny (2), Gareth Davies and Steffan Evans helped secure a convincing 34-7 win in the Principality Stadium.
The English have certainly been getting the better of Wales in recent years, as the Dragons have not won at Twickenham in the Six Nations since a 19-12 triumph back in February 2012. Gatland’s side will be buoyed by their opening win, but this could be a tough afternoon for the Welsh. We fancy England to be winning at half time and full time, which is generously priced at 1/2 with Bet365.
England to be Winning at Half Time and Full Time – 1/2 at Bet365
Scotland v France – 11th February
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland and Jacques Brunel’s France square off at Murrayfield Stadium for an intriguing-looking match on Sunday afternoon. Both teams, who fell to disappointing defeats in their opening Six Nations fixtures, will be looking to bounce back with a victory at the weekend. Things are close in terms of the betting, with the Scots being the slight favourites to prevail.
Scotland are without doubt better than their performance showed in Wales last weekend. For one reason or another, Townsend’s side were out-played in the Principality Stadium, fully deserving their heavy 34-7 defeat. France on the other hand put on a spirited display in their gut-wrenching late loss against Ireland in Saint-Denis. Despite only picking up one consolation point, that performance could take them a long way in this year’s Six Nations tournament.
With both teams pretty evenly matched, this clash could go either way in Edinburgh. However, after such a solid performance last weekend, we fancy Les Bleus to nick four points at Murrayfield. The away side are available at 2/1 with Bet365 to claim the win in the Scottish capital.
France to Win – 2/1 at Bet365