The 2018 IRB Under 20 Championship gets underway in France on Wednesday the 30th of May.
Rugby fans will have to make sure they have their diaries at hand throughout the close of May and the early weeks of June as there is just so much oval ball action on the go.
While the main focus of attention will be the June internationals, we should not forget about the IRB Under 20 Championship which gets underway this Wednesday. The tournament offers great value for the shrewd punter and is highly entertaining.
We'll preview the Round 1 action below.
Suth Africa v Georgia
Stade Aime-Giral
18:30
To Win (80 Mins)
South Africa 1/100
Draw 35/1
Georgia 13/1
Handicap
South Africa (-34.5) 17/20
Georgia (+34.5) 17/20
The Baby Boks get their 2018 campaign underway against a Georgian outfit that was highly impressive on home soil last year and managed to claim tenth place ahead of Argentina and Samoa. The South Africans also fared rather well during last year's edition as they claimed third place.
In terms of this year's preparation, the South African's have been mightily impressive beating Wales and Scotland by margins in excess of 35 points while they also beat the English 26-12. Georgia haven't fared as well and their last warm-up fixture saw them go down to an English Counties side.
Verdict: South Africa (-34.5) 17/20
I'm expecting the Baby Boks to lay down a big marker in their opener against a Georgian side that is nowhere near as good as last year's vintage.
England v Argentina
Stade D'Honneur Du Parc Des Sports Et De L'Amitie
18:30
To Win (80 mins)
England 1/14
Draw 35/1
Argentina 13/2
Handicap
England (-18.5) 17/20
Argentina (+18.5) 17/20
Argentina will be looking to atone for their 11th place finish in last year's Championship when their current crop of under 20 stars take on last year's tournament runners-up, England. The English have enjoyed a bit of a patchy year thus far, finishing second in the Under 20 Six Nations and losing on home soil to South Africa in their most recent warm-up game.
Verdict: England (-18.5) 17/20
The English should pose a real threat at the tournament. They have some exceptional talent in the squad, most notably fly-half Marcus Smith. If the Harlequins young gun fires, then England will have no problems clearing the handicap here.
Scotland v Italy
Stade de la Mediterranee
18:30
To Win (80 Mins)
Scotland 29/20
Draw 17/1
Italy 6/10
Handicap
Scotland (+4.5) 17/20
Italy (-4.5) 17/20
Scotland and Italy will lock horns in an all Six Nations affair in our next encounter. The Italians have actually been in fine form this year and managed to beat Wales 7-18 and Wednesday's opponents, Scotland, 45-31 on their way to finishing fourth in the Under 20 Six Nations. The 'Scots, however, endured a dreadful tournament with their only win coming against - rather surprisingly - England.
Verdict: Italy (-4.5) 17/20
The 'Scots could produce a performance like they did against the English or they could be absolutely dire here and get run ragged by one of the more impressive Italian Under 20 sides in recent history. As such, this game is one to avoid. If you must have a small strike though, I recommend backing the Italians on the board.
New Zealand v Japan
Stade D'Honneur Du Parc Des Sports Et De L'Amitie
21:00
To Win (80 Mins)
New Zealand 1/100
Draw 21/1
Japan 16/1
Handicap
New Zealand (-62.5) 17/20
Japan (+62.5) 17/20
The first of the nine o'clock kick-offs sees reigning champions New Zealand take on recently promoted Japan. The Kiwis were in all-conquerng form out in Georgia last year as they outclassed all in sundry on their way to claiming the title. They have lost a lot of players from last year's squad and this means they may slightly be less impressive this time around.
Verdict: New Zealand (-62.5) 17/20
The Junior All Blacks may be taking a less experienced squad to France but they have racked up some big victories during there warm-up fixtures, and I can see them starting the tournament in the same vein by hammering Japan.
Australia v Wales
Stade De La Mediterranee
21:00
To Win (80 Mins)
Australia 1/4
Draw 21/1
Wales 28/10
Handicap
Australia (-9.5) 17/20
Wales (+9.5) 17/20
The penultimate game we'll take a look at is the clash between the Junior Wallabies and the Junior Dragons. Both sides enjoyed solid if not spectacular outings in Georgia last year with the Welsh finishing seventh and the Australians finishing in sixth.
In terms of this year, the Welsh come into the tournament off the back of a heavy defeat to the South Africans and a rather poor Six Nations that saw them finish in fifth place. Their opponents have been slightly more impressive in 2018, running the All Blacks close and beating Tonga and Samoa during the recently concluded Oceania Championship.
Verdict: Australia (-9.5) 17/20
This is another tip I wouldn't invest too much into as Australia have often flattered to deceive, enjoying good warm-up results and then failing to replicate those at the actual tournament. Wales have been extremely poor this year though and I honestly think they struggle to keep it within a handicap lower than 15 points.
France v Ireland
Stade Aime-Giral, Perpignan
21:00
To Win (80 Mins)
France 1/11
Draw 33/1
Ireland 57/10
Handicap
France (-16.5) 17/20
Ireland (+16.5) 17/20
Tournament dark horses, France, will be looking to lay down a marker when they take on the Irish. The French have enjoyed a magnificent year thus far winning the Under 20 Six Nations. They carry a very highly rated squad into the tournament, with a solid pack and a devastating backline.
The Irish were far less prolific during the Six Nations and only managed a third-place finish. They did manage to give a solid account of themselves when they met France earlier in the year, going down by only ten points in Bordeaux.
Verdict: France (-16.5) 17/20
I'm expecting the French to open their campaign with a big win here. I think their forward pack will pulverise the Irish into submission which will allow their devastating backline to flourish.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets.
from Hollywoodbets Sports Blog https://ift.tt/2kyMDHJ
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