International rugby

The England rugby team may have faltered in getting smashed by South Africa but our betting strategy was nigh on perfect. All of our straight-up punts came in as the Springboks, the Aussies and Ireland all recorded impressive victories. Long may this international rugby run continue!

England vs South Africa, Saturday 2.30pm, Sky Sports

Personally I thought the game against Australia last week went exactly to plan. The Aussies were more clinical, attacked better, were more industrious, more professional and ran out easy winners. We nominated that and collected some splendid winnings.

This week I see no different. The foundation of England has been a strong pack and yet they were timid and slow last week.

A quick game is fine but we don’t deliver it and we just lack punch up front. So when we do make gaps – Cipriani or Flutey – it is on the back of their skills seeing forwards ahead of them and a gap rather than quick ball and a disorganised defense.

South Africa will not offer that much. They will grind through Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and Pierre Spies in the back row and control possession. They need to because they have no fly-half – ludicrous when you consider Butch James is tearing up the turf down at Bath.

So unless England can stretch the Springboks this will be a grind of a match. And if it does open up then they do possess a little known winger called Bryan Habana. Oh yes, he can score from anywhere.

Now I know SA are not their best at the moment, as the match against Scotland proved.

So I have a two-fold strategy for this:

Half stake on South Africa at Evens
Half stake trading against side scoring first (aim to keep laying teams at 1.6 unless it is obviously going one way. Do this for 60 or so minutes and then try if possible to leave a profit on all outcomes)

Ireland vs Argentina, Saturday 2.45pm, BBC ONE

The Pumas did well in Italy last week but Ireland will be so desperate to erase the memory of their woeful stutter against the All Blacks that I think we should see home field advantage work for the Irish this week and a restorative win.

If they struggle early then Declan Kidney has to get Ronan O’Gara off the picth and someone on it who can control possession and a game. O’Gara looked shell-shocked last week against New Zealand.

Now, Argentina have never won in Dublin but have won the last 3 matches against Ireland including the quarter-final shellacking 12 months ago in the World Cup. Ireland need a win to retain a seeding for the next one.

So what to do? I admit this is difficult and I will be trading the England game so this is a straight up punt on Ireland at 4/7.

Wales vs New Zealand, Saturday 5.15.pm, BBC ONE

Wales are 6/1. New Zealand are the huge favourites again and apart from an early lay of Wales for a trade I am sceptical about getting involved in the match market.

New Zealand didn’t fire on all cylinders in Ireland last week, nor did they need to, but usually on tour they have one game where they rollock home about 6 tries and totally destroy an opposition. It could be Wales or England that suffer.

If anything I will look at total points around 43 or so.

France vs Australia, Saturday 8pm

Now finally there is a cracking match in Paris between France and Australia.

The bookies have both around evens and I want to trade this but will need to search the digital channels for a French station. If I cannot and the rest of the day has gone well I will just back Australia.