New Zealand top tip for World Cup
By The Bookie
July 4 2007
Most bookies are still making New Zealand the clear favourites to win the World Cup in France in the autumn, despite their recent surprise defeat against Australia in Melbourne. They lost 20-15 in the Bleisloe Cup after leading at half-time, but most experts believe that was just a blip in their progress towards the Webb Ellis Trophy.
The All Blacks have said they hope the defeat will serve as a wake-up call, while most of their rivals for the Webb Ellis Trophy will be hoping the result demonstrates that the mighty New Zealanders are not unbeatable after all.
However, the bookies don’t entirely agree.
Most online bookies make the All Blacks virtually 2-1 on to win the trophy, but they can’t decide on who should be second favourites. One makes hosts France 5-1 with South Africa, who hammered weakened England in two home test matches early in the summer, third favourites at 9-1.
But another has the Springboks at 5-1 and France at 9-1.
Australia are fourth favourites at something like 10-1, while Ireland are next at 14-1.
England, the holders, can manage no better than 33-1as sixth favourites, while Wales are at 50-1, the same as Argentina.
Poor old Scotland are way out at 200-1, and then come the real outsiders: Italy at 500-1, Fiji and Samoa at 1,000-1, Tonga at 2,000-1 and Canada, Georgia, Japan, Namibia, Portugal, Romania, and USA all at 5,000-1.
Twenty teams are in the finals, playing in four groups of five to decide the quarter-finalists, who meet in straight knock-out games.