8th Sep 2011 | Rugby
Rugby World Cup Profile: England
We preview England’s chances in the Rugby World Cup with a recommended bet.
England
Pool B
World Ranking: 5
Odds to win: 16/1 (Boylesports)
Verdict: Ranked 5th in the world, but generally fourth favourite in the betting suggests some home bias in the odds. Team manager Martin Johnson has slowly given youth a chance but his team is blighted by inconsistency. A win in Australia two summers ago, showed them at their best. This is tempered by a thumping defeat when going for the Grand Slam in Ireland. Will need to win their tricky group to avoid the southern hemisphere teams next, but that will still leave them playing France in a quarter final.
Form: Friendly internationals are hard to judge but on last season’s Six Nations form they are the best team in the northern hemisphere. Toby Flood’s loss of form is a concern after an excellent year.
Recommended Bet: England not to reach the quarter finals - 14/1 with Blue Square.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 14:21 8th Sep, 2011 but subject to change
