Ireland U20 vs Italy U20
Ireland will be looking for their first ever U20 World Cup title when they take on Italy in the opening round. The Irish have won the U20 Six Nations so they have the pedigree to win the big one. The junior Azzurri have also been improving in recent years but had a disappointing end to their Six Nations tournament when they had a shock 27-15 defeat to the Welsh. They did however finish in fourth spot just four points behind the mighty French team. Ireland have shown that their juniors are similar to the highly successful senior team in that they play structured rugby that is hard to compete with.
TIP: Both these teams have adopted a running brand of rugby after being very forward dominated in the past. The Irish will be led in attack by halfbacks Jack Murphy and Oliver Coffey who performed exceptionally in the Six Nations. If they can create fluency in the backline then they will win this match. The Italians may have the advantage at scrum time as their front row is their strength. The bookies have Ireland as favorites and I am also backing them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Tictacbets 1.06, Wanejo 1.06 and Bettabets 1.06
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
Ireland U20 vs Italy U20
- Ireland have won the last seven matches between the sides.
- The last time Italy beat Ireland was in 2017.
Latest results for both teams
Ireland beat Scotland 36-0 in their last match while Italy lost 27-15 to Wales in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Irish back three of Ben O’Connor, Davy Colbert and Hugo McLaughlin are among the best in the competition as they all possess pace and power. The Italians will need their out of hand kicking to be accurate as all three of these players are great at counter attacking. The Italians will not mind the game having many set pieces as they have a good scrum and a powerful lineout maul. The Irish have the pace in their team and provided their pack can give them quick ball then they can launch their dangerous backline. I am predicting a close contest with the Irish winning by 8 points.
Probable Starting XV
Ireland U20
1. A. Usanov 2. D. Sheahan 3. A. Sparrow 4. A. Spicer 5. E. O’connell 6. J. Hopes 7. B. Ward 8. B. Gleeson 9. O. Coffey 10. J. Murphy 11. H. Mclaughlin 12. H. Gavin 13. W. De Klerk 14. F. Treacy 15. B. O’connor
Italy U20
1. F. Pisani 2. N. Gasperini 3. M. Gallorini 4. T. Redondi 5. G. Milano 6. P. Gritti 7. L. Bellucci 8. J. Botturi 9. L. Casilio 10. M. Pucciariello 11. L. Elettri 12. N. Bozzo 13. F. Zanandrea 14. M. Scalabrin 15. M. Belloni
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Ireland victory are as follows:
Tictacbets 1.06
Wanejo 1.06
Bettabets 1.06
Odds comparison on the Italy handicap:
The complete odds on the Italy handicap:
Tictacbets 1.90 (+17.5)
Wanejo 1.87 (+17.5)
Bettabets 1.89 (+17.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor odds on the Ireland outright win therefore we suggest backing Italy on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Tictacbets 1.90 (+17.5),Wanejo 1.87 (+17.5) and Bettabets 1.89 (+17.5)
Other tips for the weekend (Predicted winners are in BOLD text)
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Boland vs SWD
South Africa U20 vs Fiji U20
Ireland U20 vs Italy U20
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Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
