The Road to Riches Weekend of 21st-22nd March

Coming up this weekend

 

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Bangor-on-Dee, Kelso and Newbury and on the all- weather at Newcastle and Southwell.
• Premier League, fixtures include Newcastle United v Sunderland
• Cricket, the IPL starts next week
• Golf, the Houston Open on the USPGA and the Indian Open on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP Miami Open Continues

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Aintree Grand National Festival

We have added the Aintree Grand National Festival (Full Package) 9th-11th April 2026 to our website for £99 here

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Free Tip

2026 IPL

The 19^th season of the IPL starts on March 28^th with a return to the classic IPL format where every team plays home and away against every other. This means 77 Matches over 84 days, with double headers at weekends and the usual four team knockout phase.

Only the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have achieved consecutive titles, this time defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to retain their first title won last season.

Odds this season are as follows: Each way terms are available at most firms at half the odds, two places.

Mumbai Indians 4/1

RCB 6/1

Gujarat Titans 8/1

Punjab Kings 8/1

Delhi Capitals 9/1

Sunrisers Hyderabad 9/1

Lucknow Super Giants 10/1

Chennai Super Kings 10/1

Kolkota Knight Riders 10/1

Rajasthan Royals 12/1

No great surprise to see Mumbai favourites, they start off as such every season and are a big game team who like to lead with strong pace bowling (Bumrah/Boult etc) now augmented by Jacks and Santner as spin-bowling all-rounders.

I am looking to decided between a couple of teams at higher prices as the each-way value to reach the knockout phases and from there hope to run well.

Firstly the Gujarat Titans at 7/1, winners in 2022 and runners-up in 2023. The Titans love a fast bowler who can steam into the opposition players and with a starting line-up of Rabada, Krishna and Siraj with Wood, Arshad Khan and Ishant Sharma on the bench, they have this again.

There are some warning signs there though for their batting line up which last year was very dependent on big runs from their top three. Shubman Gill has played T20 since the end of 2025, Sudharsan hasn’t played since December and the less said about Jos Buttler’s form the better. Glenn Phillips and/or Jason Holder will be important middle order players if they fail.

Secondly the Delhi Capitals at 9/1. They have started strong and tailed off for the last few years. Could this be the year that they fulfil their potential?

One of their key strengths is their versatility within the squad, they have so many tactical combinations they really could field two or three different versions of their team depending who they are playing. Starc leads the pace-bowling line-up and he is fresh after not playing in the T20 World Cup. Add the spin due of Kuldeep and Axar and this is a very good bowling unit. Batting wise they have shopped smart bringing in Duckett and Nissanka to fill for the opener slot with KL Rahul and there is strength and power right through the order.

Delhi can pick four of their overseas players: Nissanka, Duckett, Starc, Ngidi, Jamieson, Miller and Stubbs, possibly the strongest roster of such players in this year’s IPL.

Partly on value grounds and partly due to their versatility and depth I am going to choose Delhi

10 points each-way (1/2 1,2) Delhi Capitals to win the 2026 IPL at 9/1 Bet365, Betfred, William Hill, BetVictor

Try hard.

Last weekend saw the end of the 2026 Six Nations Championship, by general agreement the most exciting and probably the best Championship ever with attacking rugby on display. France retained their title and scored 30 tries on the way to doing so. Scotland and Ireland played last Saturday both with hopes of winning the title and each scored 20 tries across their five Championship games. England only won 1 game and yet scored 21 tries.

A total of 29 tries were scored across last Saturday’s three fixtures, the most on a single day in the Championship's history, overtaking 2015's Super Saturday (27).

The Championship culminated with France winning the Six Nations with the final kick of the game in Paris against England to win 48-46 (Six Nations “Scorigami”, and not for the first time this championship) a game with no less than 16 lead changes, one of the best games you will ever see as England finally threw off their shackles and played with ambition.

The most points scored in a Six Nations remains 229 (England, 2010) but France with 218 in 2025 and 211 in 2026 came close to that record.

The brilliant French winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey is 22-years-old and has played 14 Six Nations games and now has:

• 18 tries in 14 Six Nations games (joint 5th all-time)

• The record for most tries in a tournament (twice with 9 and 8)

• The most tries in consecutive Six Nations games (10)

LBB and Attisogbe combined for 14 tries (9 and 5 respectively) in this Championship on the French wings.

Perhaps every Six Nations team this year leaves with grounds for optimism:

France, a few years after their World Cup winning U20 side began to be introduced to the senior team to augment the more established players are now successive Champions and in great shape to peak for the 2027 World Cup successive champs. The team has moved on from Penaud, Fickou, Ntamack and Alldritt seamlessly, with only a couple of under-powered props an ongoing concern. On the downside, with the renowned defence coach Shaun Edwards, France conceded 50 then 46 points in rounds 4 and 5 which was highly unexpected.

Ireland won the Triple Crown, recovering from the opening week loss in Paris well. Their partial rebuild post Jonny Sexton now looks in better shape, especially because Jack Crowley has now established himself as the starting 10. McCloskey and Balacaoune at 13 and 14 were among the players of the tournament.

Scotland had fantastic wins at home against England and France but were less impressive on their travels, losing in Rome, just winning in Cardiff and second best in Dublin in the final game.

Italy had two Six Nations wins for only the fourth time in 26 years. In centre Menoncello they have a world class player and their gritty pack of forwards caused every opponent problems in scrum and line-out.

England lost four games out of five for the first time ever in a Six Nations but gave a glimpse of their potential in putting 46 points on France in Paris.

The progress Wales have made in this Six Nations has been enormous. They improved so much since the opening two matches and ended a fifteen-match losing Six Nations run on week five at home to Italy.

Overall, the Championship displayed many of the changing structural traits of modern International rugby with incredible fitness, offloading skills and rule changes in the aerial game leading to more counter-attacking and the ball-in-play more. . All of these contributed to high-scoring try laden games.

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The Road to Riches Weekend of 14th-15th March

Coming up this weekend

 

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Fontwell, Kempton, Newcastle and Uttoxeter on the all- weather at Southwell.
• Premier League, fixtures include Arsenal v Everton and Chelsea v Newcastle United
• Rugby Union, the final round of the Six Nations Championship including France v England in Paris
• Formula One, the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai
• Golf, the Valspar Championship on the USPGA and the Hainan Classic on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP Miami Open

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Free Tip

Six Nations Round 5 Ireland v Scotland Saturday 2.10pm

Both of these teams began the Six Nations badly. Ireland were well beaten in Paris whilt Scotland lost in Rome in terrible conditions. After that game Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend’s position was under real pressure his side perennial under-achievers and the Italy loss following the Autumn choke to Argentina when they led 21-0 only to lose after allowing five second half tries.

Since that opening weekend of the tournament though Ireland and Scotland have each won three games in a row and both go into this final weekend/Super Saturday with a chance of winning the title though most would expect France to win over England with a bonus point to retain their title. Even so, one of Ireland and Scotland will win the Triple Crown, something which Scotland have never won.

Doubts around Ireland after the Paris loss centred around what seemed to be an impending rebuild under two years ahead of the 2027 World Cup, with some new players being introduced. Ireland responded with a signature win over England in London, and more routine home wins over Italy and Wales. Key players like Gibson-Park and Beirne have returned to top form and the decision to start Crowley at 10 ahead of Prendergast has given more security in defense. With a stronger platform up front and at 9-10 the midfield has impressed.

In Rome Scotland’s scrum struggled but it has done much better since. They’ve excelled at the breakdown in two brilliant home wins over England and France. Against France they won all 65 of their attacking rucks and disrupted several of France’s. Here though they play without both locks who started against France, Cummings and Brown, who are injured.

At 10 Finn Russell has reached his peak, vying with Dupont for the best Northern Hemisphere player with superb variety and deception in his kicking game and starting a variety of attacks with his creativity. In attack Scotland have really turned it on with 15 tries in 3 games since Rome and no less than 7 against France in a 50-point performance with no less than 30 line-breaks. The ball was in play for over 30 minutes (six nations average un der 35 minutes) and Scotland forced France to attempt 263 tackles and miss 55, and put the biggest score on them since their renowned defence coach Shaun Edwards joined.

In Dublin this weekend I hope they stay brave as both gameplans against England and France were constructed around bravery trading risk for reward. Almost every time Scotland had a kickable penalty, they traded up the certainty of three points for seven.

Moving on from both of Scotland’s excellent home wins in this Championship this game is another matter entirely. Scotland’s record against Ireland is terrible. They’ve lost 11 of their games in a row going back to 2018 and their last nine games in Dublin going back to 2010.

I do think this is a moment that might be a turning point though. Scotland have finally turned talent and potential into rapid improvement whilst Ireland is a more workmanlike team just beginning to go through a move to a new generation of players. This should be a very close game if Scotland stick to their guns and continue to attack with precision. The expected point total for the game is 50.5 points.

11 points Scotland +5.5 points at 10/11 generally

Chaotic

A backdrop of off-field chaos is not necessarily the way in which a team wanted to play this Six Nations but it is one nonetheless with which Welsh rugby is increasingly familiar.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has entered into a “period of exclusivity” with its preferred bidder for Cardiff, which has been under WRC control since entering administration a year ago. The bidder is Y11 Sport & Media an investment firm that owns the Ospreys.No deal has yet been signed.

Last year, the WRU proposed cutting one of the four men’s professional sides, expressing a preference for a team based in the east (the Dragons in Newport), the capital (Cardiff) and west of the country. That appeared to leave the Scarlets, based in Llanelli, and the Ospreys, who are set to redevelop the St Helen’s ground in Swansea later this year, as vulnerable.

For supporters and stakeholders of the Ospreys, reports of Y11’s possible purchase of Cardiff have angst. The most successful of the four remaining sides formed in a 2003 regionalisation process uncertainty over their ground after leaving the Swansea.com Stadium formerly shared with Swansea City has caused destabilisation. While geographically close to Llanelli, if the Ospreys are to go, it would take professional rugby out of the nation’s second-largest city.

The WRU’s view is that fielding three equally funded teams is the optimal strategy for both on-field performance and off-field sustainability, having consulted with players, coaches, fans and stakeholders over a proposal to drop to just two sides. Its plans have, however, caused uproar, with Central Glamorgan Rugby Union attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) and hold a vote of no confidence in the WRU chair. While most in Wales agree that something must be done to address an ailing rugby nation, finding compromise and concord appears impossible.

The Road to Riches Weekend of 7th-8th March

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Ayr, Hereford and Sandown and on the all- weather at Chelmsford and Wolverhampton.
• Cricket, The final of the T20 World Cup in India
• Rugby Union, the penultimate round of the Six Nations Championship
• Formula One, the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
• Golf, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on the USPGA
• Tennis, ATP BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells

Cheltenham Festival

Next week, The Cheltenham Festival Tues 10th - Fri 13th March 2026 (Package) - all our write ups and bets for £199 here.

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Six Nations Round Four: Scotland v France Saturday 2.15pm

With France 6/4 to win the Grand Slam before the tournament started. Of their two away fixtures this year this always loomed large as a key game in their attempt to win the title unbeaten.

With France having won their first three games very comfortably that remains the case. France have scored 123 points and no less than 18 tries in the three matches and conceded only 34 points. 13 of France’s tries this Six Nations have been scored without a ruck in the opposition 22, and obviously their attacking flair and ability to strike from a way out is a brilliant way to bypass modern congested defenses closer to the line. As it is they have a 50% success rate (points scored) from entries into the 22 in this Six Nations so far.

Granted two of the three games have been Wales away and Italy at home but so far so good especially in the 36-14 opening game win over Ireland. Wingers Bielle-Biarrey and Attisogbe account for 7 of France’s tries so far.

Scotland in Murrayfield is a different challenge in what should be an open high-scoring game. The weather forecast is good which is helpful in expecting that type of game. Scotland lack some power up front, and in the monsoon conditions in the opening round in Rome this was exposed in the loss to Italy. Fired up they then beat England at home followed by a comeback win in Cardiff which whilst less impressive was nevertheless the type of win that this Scotland team have rarely achieved in recent years, they’ve tended to fold in the face of adversity.

If Scotland can compete up front in the scrum and continue to improve what was a very wobbly line-out and secure enough quality ball then they have the firepower out wide to trouble France, as unlikely as an outright win would be. Scotland are bottom for scrum retention on their own put-in (76%) and for lineout success (81%). Those areas, plus restarts, need to be far better this weekend

I expect a closer game than France -10.5 on the handicap implies. In any case Scotland’s best chance is probably an open, high scoring shoot-out where they aren’t compelled to battle in tight spaces. Indeed the market has this as a 55.5-point game so a high socring game is expected

Each six Nations year is of course different but over the years France haven’t had it their own way in Murrayfield, they won just 20-16 two years ago. Historically Scotland have a 56% win rate over France at home.

11 points Scotland +10.5 points at 10/11 generally

Batting Woes

In the 2025-26 Ashes, few batsmen performed well. No Ashes Tests had been decided within two days for 104 years; In the 2025-26 series there were two two-day tests in the same series.

Batsmen’s struggles were stranger because of absences from both teams’ first-choice attacks: Josh Hazlewood missed the entire series; Pat Cummins and Mark Wood only played a Test apiece; Jofra Archer and Nathan Lyon were also absent in Melbourne. England lost 26 wickets at a combined average of 21.2 to Scott Boland and Michael Neser. There were various reasons why batting was so difficult.

Firstly the wobble seam delivery is the most influential development in fast bowling since at least the popularisation of reverse swing in the early 1990s. The wobble seam is bowled with the fingers wide of the seam and held loosely, rather than in a conventional upright position. This delivery wobbles in the air. After pitching, the delivery moves in one of three directions: away from the batsman; into the batsman; or it remains along its previous path, without deviating.

Facing 80mph bowling, a batsman has about half a second between the ball being delivered and reaching them. With wobble seam, all the deviation occurs in the final 0.15 seconds of the delivery when it is too late for batsmen to change their shots.

Next, accuracy. There is strong reason to think that today’s Test seamers are more accurate than ever before.  Even in the absence of two of their three leading seam bowlers, Australia demonstrated remarkable accuracy: the ability to pound out a good line and length relentlessly, thereby maximising all assistance offered. One finding by CricViz, the data-tracking company, emphasises Boland’s skill. Based on a player’s ability to bowl on both a good line and length, Boland is the most accurate seamer in history, since ball-tracking data was introduced in 2005.

Two Tests, at Perth and Melbourne, were also played on very green pitches. Either side of these Tests, batsmen have thrived. Across Brisbane and Adelaide, the teams averaged a combined 34.9 per wicket.

Aspects of batting technique this series can justifiably be criticised. Modern batsmen have far less experience in defending than players of previous generations, before the short-formats of the game accelerated. Perhaps batting techniques have indeed declined but very accurate bowling accurate on a pitch offering abundant movement meant batsmen were bound to struggle.

Finally the Kookaburra balls, once seen as offering no help to bowlers, were changed to include a broader seam and a plastic layer on top three years ago. Since then they’ve offered prodigious help to bowlers. It was poor planning by England to introduce the old Kookaburra ball for rounds of the 2024-25 County Championships, not at all replicating the conditions the England batsmen were about to experience down under. 

England ultimately picked a bowling attack full of pace, appropriate for Australian pitches and balls of a decade ago. The irony was that their batsmen were undone by “English type” seamers, of a type that England had not selected.

Betting Emporium results

The Road to Riches Weekend of 28th February- 1st March

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Doncaster, Kelso and Newbury and on the all- weather at Lingfield and Southwell.
• Football, Premier League fixtures include Arsenal v Chelsea.
• Cricket, The final stages of the Super 8's at the T20 World Cup in India/Sri Lanka.
• Golf, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Puerto Rico Open on the USPGA and the Joburg Open on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP BNP Open at Indian Wells

 

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Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival Tues 10th - Fri 13th March 2026 (Package) - all our write ups and bets £199 here. 

Free Tip

Cricket: T20 World Cup Super 8’s Group 1 India v West Indies Kolkota Sunday 1.30pm

In Group 1 of the Super 8’s in this T20 World Cup South Africa have qualified for the last four having beaten India then the West Indies comfortably and will have high hopes of defending their title as the last unbeaten team in the tournament. Their qualification means this game on Sunday is a knockout game to reach the semi-finals. With Zimbabwe to come in their last Super 8 game, South Africa are likely to win Group 1.

India and the West Indies both won their groups to Qualify for the Super 8s in the much tougher Group 1 with four pool stage winners with four wins from 4, at times the West Indies playing in the fashion of their 2016 T20 World Cup winning side.

After six games the West Indies have hit 66 sixes in this competition, India 65, the West Indies 7 more than South Africa and the West Indies innings against South Africa on Thursday was a typical one. They struggled to 83-7 with 49 dot balls before striking 11 sixes in a record eighth wicket partnership to set South Africa 177. Romario Shepherd became the first player to score a fifty batting at No. 9 in any T20 World Cup.

No one has hit more sixes in this tournament than the West Indies Shrimron Hetmyer. At times in a 320-match T20 career, he has flattered to deceive but seven times in his last 10 T20I innings, all in the last month, he has reached 40 having been moved to number three in the batting line-up.

His career T20 stats are an average of 28.6 and a strike rate of 146.8. Batting at 3, his average is 54.75 with a strike rate of 185.59.

Hetmyer is the top West Indies run scorer so far in the tournament:

Hetmyer 221 runs

Hope 185

Rutherford 169

Rest 115 and under.

Playing the hosts in Kolkota is of course a tough ask, notably batting against the brilliant Bumrah and leg-break bowler Varun Chakravarthy with 11 wickets so far in the competition second most in tournament. This is reflected in outright odds of India 2/7 West Indies 11/4.

Hetmyer isn’t the favourite in the Top West Indies batsman market, and I think he should be.

10 points Shimron Hetmyer Top West Indies batsman at 7/2 SkyBet, PaddyPower, 3/1 Bet365, William Hill, BetVictor, Ladbrokes/Coral.

Superbowl reflections.

Super Bowl LX a fortnight ago was overwhelmingly a defensive battle. The game had 15 punts, 5 field goal attempts (all converted) and just 3 offensive touchdowns (all passes).Neither team had a rushing attempt inside the opponents’ 5-yard line and the two Quarterbacks combined for 35 incomplete passes. The longest play from scrimmage for either team was just 35 yards and the 2 teams combined for 691 yards of punts, which is more than the 666 yards of total offense in the game.

In particular, Seattle’s defense dominated. New England’s first half possessions were: Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, kneel-down. To begin the second half New England went: 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out, fumble.

The game saw the first running back MVP since in 28 years after Kenneth Walker had 155 yards from scrimmage and 135 of those rushing on 27 carries. This was not predicted! This was the best running back performance against New England since Week 18 of the 2023 season.

Through the season Walker had been a frustrating watch sharing time with Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet’s late season injury thrust Walker into a completely full-time role far fresher than if he had been the full lead back all season. In the Super Bowl he was particularly successful on outside zone runs and now hits free agency having made himself a lot of money in the game.

Including the run game successes the Seahawks had an offensive success rate of just 32.4% in the Super Bowl their worst in any game this season.

On the other side of the ball Seattle’s defense put New England’s Quarterback Drake Maye, poorly protected particularly by the left-hand side of the offensive line, in a blender. With their staple approach of being able to create pressure with just their four defensive linemen they were able to confused the young Quarterback by showing man coverage pre-snap then dropping into zone coverage as the ball reached the Quarterback’s hands.

Maye had the 6th-worst EPA/dropback in a Super Bowl since 2000. His three worst games of the season in terms of total offensive EPA came in the last three games of the season.

Play-calling was also an issue. Maye threw just one screen all night, and it came with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He was rolled out of the pocket once all game and was asked to operate from a straight drop-back 44 times. Play action showed up on only six of his 53 drop-backs — a 11.3% rate that sat well below his 24% usage over the full season. Possibly affected by a shoulder injury his rushing was also more limited than expected. Seven sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble told the story of a night where Maye rarely had a chance to set his feet, let alone settle in.

The Seahawks ran a pass stunt on 45.3% of their pass-rush snaps, the third-highest rate in a Super Bowl. Seattle converted 42.9% of its total pressures into sacks, an unusually high rate, and finished with seven sacks, three quarterback hits and 14 additional hurries.

In commentary 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who played the Seahawks three times this season said “If you can’t run the ball, they’ll keep their two safeties very deep, they’re going to give up no explosives. I’ve looked for two years, you can’t get the explosives unless you run the ball, unlock them, bring (the safeties) up”.

Seattle allowed -0.329 EPA per play, which ranks as the third-best Super Bowl defensive performance since 2006.  This was the culmination of nailing several drafts and free agency in the last off-season including pivoting away from Quarterback Geno Smith to Sam Darnold, who barely played in 2022-23 (seven total starts) and has now been part of 34 wins since leaving the Jets in 2021.

The Seattle defense was so good that that even as Darnold had his lowest completion percentage of the season (50%), second-worst yards per attempt (5.3), overthrew JSN for a potential 86-yard touchdown, also threw behind him for a potential 23-yard score before the half that the Seahawks comfortably won the Super Bowl by 16 points!

Mike MacDonald became the first Super Bowl winning coach who was also the defense’s play-caller and the third youngest Super Bowl winning Head coach.

The Patriots won 4 games last year and entered this year with a projected win total of 8.5 (which baked in an easy schedule). The team was dependent on multiple rookies and a 23-year-old Quarterback. Whatever the short-term disappointment of losing, they are ahead of schedule in their turn around from the post Brady/Belichick years. 2026 should be tougher though playing the schedule of a first placed team and picking late in the draft.

Betting Emporium results

The detailed results page was updated on 1^st October 2025. They can be found by clicking RESULTS

If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be inning + £65,159 All bets have an ROI +2.45%

A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £69,158, a 1629% increase.

The Road to Riches Weekend of 21st-22nd February

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton and on the all- weather at Lingfield and Newcastle.
• Football, the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.
• Rugby Union, Round Three of the Six Nations
• Cricket, The T20 World Cup in India continues
• Olympics, the conclusion of the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy
• Golf, the Genesis Invitational on the USPGA and the Kenya Open on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP Opens in Delray Beach, Qatar and Rio

Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival Tues 10th - Fri 13th March 2026 (Package) - all our write ups and bets £199 here. 

Free Tip

Six Nations Round 3: England v Ireland Saturday 2.10pm

England fell back to earth in Edinburgh last weekend, losing 31-20 their largest margin of defeat since losing 29-10 to Ireland in a 2023 World Cup Warm-Up and their worst Six Nations defeat since a 29-13 loss against Ireland also in 2023. It was their fifth Calcutta Cup loss in six years, and their first loss in 13 games.

England were down 14 points early on, spent 30 minutes of the game down to 14 men and their predictable kicking strategy left them exposed to Finn Russell-inspired counterattacks. They missed 21 tackles in the first half alone and 31 overall against 15 the week before against Wales.

Above this, England’s attack was also one-dimensional averaging a woeful 1.4 points from 12 entries into the opposition 22 with just two tries scored and they conceded a whopping 18 turnovers. Important mistakes from Genge in defense and Ford’s charged down dropped goal led to big swings in the game. England only won back six out of 19 contestable kicks, and one of those 'wins' led to Earl being bundled straight into touch.

Big picture England now have three key away games ahead of the 2027 World Cup in which to establish themselves as a contender for that tournament and need to win one or more of them: France away at the end of this Six Nations, South Africa away in the new Nations Championship this summer and Ireland away in next year’s Six Nations, where they haven’t won since 2019.

Shorter term England are 12.5-point favourites, having opened -13.5, to bounce back with a win against an Ireland side in flux. Ireland’s last four matches against top 5 ranked opposition have seen losses by 17, 13, 11 and 22 points. Both teams have looked leggy in the first two rounds of this Championship, possibly a legacy of the two teams providing the bulk of the Lions tourists last summers and temporary victims of rugby’s punishing schedule that has seen injuries for both sides since the tour and drops in form for key players who have remained healthy. This could be compounded this week, normally a rest week for the Six Nations but in a shorter tournament this year a third game in succession for both sides.

Coach Andy Farrell is having to do a part-rebuild quite late in a World Cup cycle with their core of players approaching veteran status, key players like Jonny Sexton a couple of years retired and what was a previously fruitful Academy conveyor belt from the A and U20 teams struggling to produce ready-made successors.

The result is seen in team selections that tend to mix and match between generations. There were six changes from the Round 1 defeat in Paris to the Round 2 20-13-point win in Dublin against Italy. 8 of the Irish Lions from the Summer 2025 tour were not selected, and Italy were a try-scoring forward pass and the bounce of a ball from a chip-through away from a famous away win.

Against Italy fly-half Jack Crowley’s impact off the bench helped bring the win home after starting 10’s Sam Prendergast’s limitations were exposed again, and whilst the victory stops the bleeding it hardly suggested Ireland have rediscovered their best form.

England have made five changes from last week and should be punchier in midfield with the return of Lawrence and have more firepower out wide with Freeman back on the wing. Pollock starts for the first time in the back row. Ireland start Crowley over Prendergast.

England of course should win, and the point total this weekend is 47.5, but +12.5 feels strong for what after all is a match between the third and fourth world ranked sides with the modern game having a greater variance/element of lottery in the aerial contest high balls under the new laws, which we saw play out in Edinburgh last weekend. For example England full back Freddie Steward is probably the pre-eminent player at his position under the high ball. His defensive catch success is down from 87% to 70% in Internationals this season under the new rules.

11 points Ireland +12.5 points at 10/11 generally.

Hundreds

The Hundred's squads are currently being overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a "reset" evoking the IPL's mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises.

A handful of men's players signed contracts this year aligning with the competition’s new investors- such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom)  and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.

The risk of a "reset" is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. Three team names have also changed.

For example therefore a Surrey fan who has begun to appreciate the Oval Invincibles, now has to support MI London with many of the team’s most successful players for the Hundred’s most successful team leaving for other teams in the off-season. Of course the main aim is to grow the sport and attract new fans, but grumbles from existing fans are loud.

The long term ambition of the new investors is that the Hundred rivals other great summer sporting events in general and the IPL within cricket. Many believe this is only possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages, it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window, but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.

Slow pitches remain a concern, with ground staff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts.

Teams were allowed up to four pre-auction signings from mid-November to the end of January. A maximum of three could be direct signings, either an overseas or England centrally-contracted player, while a minimum of one was a retention of a player in a team's 2025 squad. Signings so far as follows:

Birmingham Phoenix: Rehan Ahmed (England), Jacob Bethell (England), Donovan Ferreira (South Africa), Mitchell Owen (Australia)

Manchester Super Giants: Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan), Jos Buttler (England), Liam Dawson (England), Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa)

MI London: Sam Curran (England), Will Jacks (England), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Southern Brave: Jofra Archer (England), Jamie Smith (England), Marcus Stoinis (Australia), Tristan Stubbs (South Africa)

Sunrisers Leeds: Harry Brook (England), Brydon Carse (England), Nathan Ellis (Australia), Mitchell Marsh (Australia)

Trent Rockets: Tom Banton (England), Tim David (Australia), Ben Duckett (England), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand)

Welsh Fire: Marco Jansen (South Africa), Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Phil Salt (England), Chris Woakes (England)

The Hundred auction will take place in March.

Betting Emporium results

The detailed results page was updated on 1^st October 2025. They can be found by clicking RESULTS

If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be inning + £65,159 All bets have an ROI +2.45%

A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £69,158, a 1629% increase.