England faces Wales in of the most important matches of the 2010 Six Nations Championship at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.
The last time Wales visited England the team secured their nation’s first away win against the old enemy in two decades. This time around the Welsh will feel far more confident of their ability to put England away, given that Wales has not lost to England in the Six Nations Championship since 2006.
England vs. Wales Trends Analysis
England against Wales is one of the great rivalries in the Six Nations Championship, and it has been Wales that has dominated exchanges between these two proud nations in recent years. Wales has won four out of the last five encounters between these two countries, and last lost to England in 2006 during a visit to Twickenham.
Three of the last four Welsh victories saw Wales win by 7 points or more. However the Welsh have not yet inflicted a hiding on the English, and are yet to beat England by 10 points or more in the new millennium.
Wales has not been in the best of form ahead of the 2010 6 Nations Championship. The team that contributed the majority of players to the Lions squad has struggled to obtain results since narrowly losing out on the 2009 title, and has scored three wins from its last five matches, with these wins coming against lower-ranked opposition with the exception of the side’s victory over Argentina in November.
Wales’ recent failures have been put down to injuries to key players, and the return of hookers Matthew Reece and Gareth Williams, alongside prop Adam Jones, should give the Welsh pack much needed muscle. If Lee Byrne’s appeal against his 2 match ban succeeds he’ll add pace and penetration to the Welsh backline.
England, meanwhile, has looked nothing like the team that won the World Cup in 2003. The last five matches played by the English have produced just 2 wins, with both of these scored against Argentina. The team’s last significant win came against France in the 2009 Six Nations, and there has been little in the way of speed or coherence in English performances of late.
Martin Johnson has signalled his intent to play attacking rugby by reintroducing Danny Care and Matthew Tait to the side, while Delon Armitage and Ricky Flutely will add genuine class and speed to the outside backs. Johnny Wilkinson will start at flyhalf, adding solidity and experience to the pivot position.
England vs. Wales Betting Tip
England has been priced the favourite for their opening match of the Six Nations Championship with William Hill offering the best price of 4/6. Wales is priced not too far off, with Betfair offering 6/5 on a Welsh win. The draw is 25/1 at Betfair.
We agree with the bookies that home advantage and the injection of strong players should give England the win in this match, but still think it will be a close match given Wales’ ability to concoct tries out of thin air. Rather than back one team we’re going to look for a smart hedge bet to earn a return on this match.
We’re happy to start off by backing England for the win at 4/6.
We’ll then take the price on Wales winning the match by 1 to 10 points in the winning margin betting markets at Paddy Power with a smaller stake at long odds to guarantee a profit if England wins or Wales wins by under 10 points. You can also place a small cover bet on the draw to get your money back if the match ends in a draw.
[odds]http://odds.gambling-guru.com/rugby-union/six-nations-championship/round-1/england-v-wales/match-result/|England vs. Wales[/odds]
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