The Super Rugby season will be taking a month break as the International period begins with Australia taking on England in a three match series. Continue reading for our Rugby Union Australia vs England test match preview and betting tips.
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Australia vs England (Saturday 8pm AEST)
England will be looking for revenge as they travel to Australia to take on the Wallabies in a three match series. The Wallabies handed the Red and Whites a 33-13 defeat that essentially eliminated the side from the Rugby World Cup in embarrassing fashion, as they were unable to advance from the pool stages in front of their home crowd.
However, a lot has changed over the past year as they have brought in a successful Australian coach in Eddie Jones and the results thus far have been impressive. They managed to win the Six Nations and completed the Grand Slam by going through the tough International tournament undefeated. Jones has brought a lot of belief into the team that was lacking over the past couple of years and the team has bought into his attacking style of rugby which should make for their encounter against Australia an exciting spectacle.
The return of Dylan Hartley into the side has been a vital part of their success as he has brought stability to their scrum whilst his throwing at the line out has been superb. This has allowed the side to maintain possession and apply pressure onto their opponents. The line out is generally a great strength for Australia but they will need to be wary of Maro Itoje and George Kruis who have became a huge source of strength in this area.
It will be essential for England when they have the ball that they managed to get over the advantage line and continue to move forward. If they are unable to do this and are moving backwards, it will put a lot of pressure on themselves at the breakdown and it will fall into the hands of one of the Wallabies greatest strengths. Michael Hooper and David Pocock are always looking for a turnover at the breakdown as they get their feet set, use their strength and get their hands all over the ball better than any other duo in the world. With these two players on the field they are a constant threat and the Red and White will need to be wary at all times as a turn over can easily lead to an Australian counter attack.
Another area where England will have to be clinical and can’t afford to make mistakes will be in their kicking game. When kicking long they will have to find touch as much as possible, kick it away from Israel Folau or have a terrific kick chase to shut down his options quickly. Folau has been terrific over the past two seasons since his move from Rugby league and the AFL and his strength, speed and ball playing ability make him a dangerous player for any opponent. If England can limit his impact on the match and time with the ball in his hands, they will gain a massive advantage. Where as if they are constantly handing the fullback easy possession in good areas, they will pay.
Australia will have the advantage of playing in front of their home crowd and despite their being heavy rain last week it is dry conditions in Brisbane leading up to Saturday and on Saturday night. This will be a plus for the Wallabies and they have only lost on three out of 17 matches played on home soil against the Red and White. Six of the last eight matches played between these two sides have finished within 12-points and we are predicting another close match with the Wallabies coming out on top.
TIP: Australia 1-12 @ $2.60 with CrownBet
As the conditions are set to be dry for this weekend’s match, we will be predicting a free flowing match to be played by these two sides. It is also likely that the match will open up towards the end of the game as either team will be pushing for victory and this will allow for the backs to get more involved in the contest and look for an important try. It is also likely that plenty of changes will be made by both sides throughout the end of the contest as the coaches will want each player to get a feel for things as this is a three match series. We suggest betting the following on the jersey of last try scorer as below.
TIP: Any other number other than 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 to score last try, penalty try or tryless match @ $1.90 with William Hill
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
