Rugby Union
Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals preview: Ireland to break their quarter-final jinx
The Rugby World Cup enters its quarter final stage after two nations secured qualification from each of the four Pools.
We preview both of the Saturday games below.
Wales v Argentina – Saturday 16:00
The 2023 Rugby World Cup has been quite a journey for Wales so far. They’ve notched up four wins from four in the Pool Stage, kicking off their campaign with an electrifying victory against Fiji, hanging in the balance until the last minute. Subsequent wins against Portugal and an emphatic triumph over Australia highlighted their improvement since the last World Cup, and they sealed their Pool C dominance with a resounding win against Georgia.
Argentina, ranked 9th in the world, started their 2023 World Cup journey with a loss to England but swiftly rebounded with victories against Samoa and Chile. A thrilling win against Japan sealed their quarter final place, and they’ll want to go one further here and shock the rest of the tournament on Saturday. They start as the 9/5 underdogs to achieve a semi-final appearance, with Wales the 8/15 favourites.
Key players to keep an eye on include Liam Williams, the Welsh full-back, who recently scored his first try in the tournament and is 9/4 to score anytime on Saturday. Emiliano Boffelli, the Argentine winger/full-back, is a top scorer candidate, having already scored 273 points for his country in 53 caps. Boffelli showcased his prowess by contributing significantly to Argentina’s victories with conversions, penalties, and tries, and he’s 6/4 to score a try this weekend.
Whilst Wales start the game as the frontrunners for a semi-final clash, Argentina could pull off a shock here. Backing them in the +4.5 handicap market at 10/11 is certainly worth a punt, whilst the South Americans to win by 1-5 points at 9/2 also looks appealing.
Ireland v New Zealand – Saturday 20:00
This is the knockout game everyone has been waiting for, and many reckon whoever comes out on top here will go onto win the tournament. In the grand arena of international rugby, few clashes hold as much weight and anticipation as Saturday’s quarter-final showdown between Ireland and New Zealand.
Ireland, perched at the pinnacle of the world rankings and riding high as tournament favourites, are poised to break free from the shackles of their infamous quarter-final jinx. On the opposite end of the spectrum stands the indomitable All Blacks, the sport’s most decorated team, thirsting for retribution against an Irish squad that has bested them thrice in their last four encounters over the past two years.
Ireland start as the 4/6 favourites after winning all four of their Pool games. Andy Farrell’s men commenced their campaign with a commanding 82-8 victory over Romania, and their dominance continued in the following fixture against Tonga, triumphing 59-16. The match that caught the world’s attention was their pulsating encounter with South Africa, emerging victorious with a tight score of 13-8 and catapulting them to the status of tournament favourites.
New Zealand uncharacteristically start as underdogs for this one, trading at 7/5 to qualify for next week’s semi-finals. For the All Blacks, the journey to the quarter-finals was marked by a contrasting blend of setbacks and resurgence. A shock defeat at the hands of France, losing 27-13, got their campaign off to the worst possible start, but they roared back with an emphatic 71-3 win over Namibia and a dominant 96-17 triumph over Italy. Their campaign concluded with a 73-0 thrashing of Uruguay, but this New Zealand team perhaps don’t strike fear into teams as much as they used to.
The handicap betting for this one is just two points (+3 New Zealand, -3 Ireland), which underlines how close this contest should be. Despite this, we reckon Ireland could run away with it in similar fashion to France, so backing the Ireland 11-15 winning margin at 8/1 looks very appealing.
