Unsurprisingly, most of the sporting headlines at the moment are coming directly out of the likes of Twickenham and Wembley, as the Rugby World Cup continues to deliver drama of the highest order. Hosts England are in serious trouble of the tournament being over after just three matches, as defeat to Australia would see one of the favourites crash out in the pool stage thanks to a dramatic and narrow loss to Wales.
The Wallabies will secure their place in the quarter finals with a win and would love to send their rivals packing at the same time. Meanwhile, South Africa bounced back from a stunning defeat to Japan with a comprehensive win over Samoa. They take on a Scotland side who will be ready for the step up to a tougher battle after easy victories over the Japanese and the USA.
Rugby League is refusing to let its sister sport take all the acclaim, however, and four Super League sides are one step away from the Grand Final next weekend. Leeds Rhinos are the favourites to take the crown at Old Trafford, and they’ll have to shake off defending champions St Helens if they are to get the chance.
Darts’ first major autumn tournament comes around as well, and the world’s top players head to Ireland to contest the World Grand Prix. There is always the potential for shock results, and this weekend is no exception – but even betting on the favourite brings rich reward in the more niche markets, or if one is picked from a strong field.
- Leeds Rhinos vs St Helens – Leeds Rhinos to win by 1-10 points (17/10 at Sky Bet)
- England vs Australia – Australia to win (13/10 at Totesport)
- South Africa vs Scotland – South Africa to win by 16-20 points (5/1 at Sky Bet)
- World Grand Prix – Michael van Gerwen to win (13/8 at Coral)
Leeds Rhinos vs St Helens – Friday 2nd October 2015
For Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants, the Super League Grand Final requires just one more hurdle to be jumped. However, with the four separated by tiny margins in the Super 8s, it is one monumental hurdle. The latter pair do battle on Thursday, and the day after the two sides who have won the most Grand Finals look to return to the showpiece encounter yet again. Leeds Rhinos are looking for a seventh title and a first since 2012, while St Helens are two wins away from defending the Super League crown for the first time since 2000. The issue both face is a lack of form going into this encounters. St Helens lost four of their seven Super 8s ties, while Leeds had lost three on the bounce, including a 32-18 reverse against Friday’s opponents, before a win over Huddersfield Giants saw them pip Wigan to the top of the Super 8s group on points difference. St Helens had gone into the Super 8s in second place, but thanks to poor recent form they face a tough task at Headingley.
Before the significant blip that blighted and almost threw off track their campaign, Leeds were by a distance the strongest team in the league. Despite recent struggles, Brian McDermott’s side still look much more potent than their rivals. With Kevin Sinfield kicking over 100 points already this season and tries scored in abundance by the likes of Ryan Hall, Leeds have what it takes to outgun their opponents. They do need to lift themselves from the recent slump, caused more by complacency and resting players than anything else, but the prospect of the Grand Final should do just that. St Helens beat the Rhinos in their last meeting and will believe a repeat is on the cards, but everything points to Leeds edging this one. It is likely to be close though, with so much at stake, and Sky Bet are offering 17/10 on the favourites to win at Headingley making it to the Old Trafford Grand Final with a winning margin of between one and 10 points.
- Leeds Rhinos to win by 1-10 points – 17/10 at Sky Bet
England vs Australia – Saturday 3rd October 2015
One of two things tends to happen to a nation when they host a major sporting tournament. Either they rise to the occasion, lifted to victory by the boisterous home faithful, as New Zealand did so clinically in 2011. Or, weighed down by the expectation, they fall flat, missing out on what seemed a golden opportunity for success, as with Brazil in the recent football World Cup. England and Stuart Lancaster will be desperate to avoid the fate that befell Wales in 1991 and escape both the group stage and powerful public scrutiny. Defeat to old rivals Australia would secure a most ignominious ending to their World Cup tilt. After starting the tournament amongst the favourites, it would be quite the expedited fall from grace.
England go into this crunch tie looking for a third successive victory over Australia though, but their opponents looked focussed and potent in a comprehensive win over Uruguay after a slightly narrower victory over Fiji. England’s issue is discipline. It was that which allowed Dan Biggar to kick Wales to victory at Twickenham, and it is indiscipline that will hand Australia victory here. Quade Cooper only had a 5/11 record for penalties and conversions against the Uruguayans, but he and his side will step up when it counts. That’s what makes champions and turns hosts into heroes. Australia to win is 13/10 at Totesport, and unless England step up that is exactly what will happen.
- Australia to win – 13/10 at Totesport
South Africa vs Scotland – Saturday 3rd October 2015
South Africa, no matter what they do in this World Cup, will have the Japanese albatross around their necks throughout. The incredible 34-32 defeat by Japan will go down as one of the biggest World Cup shocks ever, if not the biggest, and Heyneke Meyer’s side will have to do a lot to earn their nation’s forgiveness. They can start with victory over Scotland, who will use Japan’s monumental achievement plus their comfortable wins over South Africa’s conquerors and the USA to stake their claim to Pool B success. Victory here would seal top spot for Scotland unless a shock defeat to Samoa is on the cards, but even that would bring a tie against, most likely, England or Wales.
South Africa have piled on the points in both their victory and their defeat, and that spells trouble for Scotland. That and the fact South Africa have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the sides. Scotland will have to match South Africa try for try, kick for kick, and battle hard without rest for the entirety of the 80 minutes, or Meyer’s charges are likely to canter clear. Sky Bet are offering 5/1 on South Africa winning by 16-20 points. Although it is a small window, it allows for three or four tries or a clutch of penalties being the difference.
- South Africa to win by 16-20 points – 5/1 at Sky Bet
Darts World Grand Prix – Sunday 4th October
The penultimate 2015 major darts championship, with the Grand Slam of Darts following in November before the 2016 World Championship, the Darts World Grand Prix brings together the world’s top 16, the next highest ranked 14 from the Order of Merit, and the two highest ranked players from Ireland or Northern Ireland. The 32 taking part converge on the Citywest Hotel in Dublin for a unique double-in competition. Brendan Dolan, the first player ever to hit a nine-dart finish on television beginning with a double in the 2011 edition of this competition, kicks off against Jelle Klaasen. Darting heavyweights clash as early as the first round in Dublin, with Raymond van Barneveld taking on Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright taking on Dave Chisnall.
There are three former champions in the field; 11-time winner Phil Taylor, twice champion James Wade and Michael van Gerwen, who won his second World Grand Prix title last year. Taylor, once as dominant in this format as any other, has lost his magic when it comes to hitting doubles, and when players have to hit one to start and end a leg Taylor could be toppled. Wade is amongst the challengers including Van Barneveld, Lewis, Chisnall and Wright, but two of the latter four will fall at the first, and as the field thins only one name stands above the rest. That is Van Gerwen, the man destined to fill Taylor’s shoes. The Dutch thrower has five European Tour titles under his belt this year alone, and the 2015 UK Open and World Matchplay champion is well placed to succeed in Dublin. Naturally Van Gerwen is the favourite, but at 13/8 with Coral to win, the Dutchman is also at good odds.
- Michael van Gerwen to win – 13/8 at Coral