Nations Championship Rugby Week 2 Predictions & Tips

It wasn’t a convincing win for New Zealand last week against France, but life should be easier for the All Blacks against Italy, who suffered a shock loss to Japan. It was a terrible result for Italy, who looked strong at the backend of the Six Nations, and the loss could set them back a long way. It doesn’t easier against the All Blacks, who are keen to produce a big effort after a lacklustre win over the French. Some changes have been made to the team, and the ABs should have enough in the tank to hand Italy an 0-2 start to the Nations Championship.

A tough game is expected between Australia and France, but the edge has to go to the French. They showed plenty of fight against the All Blacks last week, and they had a chance to steal the game late. That should give them a lot of confidence, and we don’t think Australia is there yet. They should have beaten Ireland last week, but winning games has become tough for the Wallabies. They also picked up a couple of untimely injuries at important positions, and France could capitalise. We predict a close game for 60 minutes before France pulls away with a couple of late tries.

Japan deserves all the accolades following a win over Italy last week. It was a great occasion for a team that always plays with their heart on their sleeves. However, Ireland isn’t a team that messes around with second-tier nations, and it should be a one-sided victory for the Irish in Newcastle. Ireland were strong winners late over Australia, and we were impressed by their toughness, especially in the second half. Japan will need to improve on their performance over Italy just to stick with Ireland, but we can’t see it happening. Our pick is Ireland -19.5, and they could win by close to 30 points.

Fiji vs. England is one of the hardest games to predict in Round 2. Fiji were disappointing last week when losing to Wales, but they should have gained much-needed match fitness. It’s never easy for Fiji to come out running in tournaments, but they’ll be improved against England. The current line has England favoured at -20.5, and we’re not comfortable backing England to cover the spread. It’s a home ‘away’ game, which helps them, but if Fiji plays a physical-style game, they should make a game of it.

Scotland deserves plenty of praise for beating Argentina last week. It’s not easy to win games in Argentina, so they should be full of confidence. However, beating Argentina is one thing; beating South Africa in South Africa is a different kettle of fish. The World Cup champions play on a different level, and we believe they are the best team in the world. Beating Scotland by 18+ points shouldn’t be too hard for the Springboks, whose power and kicking game will prove too much for the visitors.

It’s all about confidence for Argentina, and after losing to Scotland last week, their confidence levels will be down. That’s good news for Wales, who scored a quality win over Fiji in tough conditions. They played much better than their Six Nations campaign would have suggested, and another quality effort is enough to keep it close against Argentina. The +17.5 line is generous for a team that can slow down the tempo of the game, which Argentina needs to thrive. It could be won and lost in the final 20 minutes, which favours punters taking the +17.5 line for Wales.