The bookies reckon this year’s Rugby Championship is a two-horse race – except both horses are built like front-rowers and will maul you into next week.
- All Blacks – around 21/20 (2.05)
- Springboks – around 6/5 (2.20)
- Wallabies – 12-13/1 (basically “lottery ticket” territory)
- Pumas – 33/1 (buy this if you like heartbreak)
If you think the Boks’ Ellis Park oxygen deprivation programme will do the job, that 6/5 is worth a sniff.
Round 1 – Saturday, 16 Aug
South Africa vs Australia (Johannesburg)
- Odds scream Bok win (~1/8)
- Handicap: SA -18.5 at 9/10 – bookies expecting a three-score beatdown.
- Spicy punt: Half-time/Full-time “Australia/South Africa” ~6/1 – for that classic “Boks snooze button, then smash-mouth” storyline.
Argentina vs New Zealand (Córdoba)
- ABs ~2/5, Pumas ~14/5
- Handicap: NZ -7.5/8.5
- Value bite: Pumas +7.5 at home – they’ve upset bigger beasts before.
- Fun flyer: HT/FT “Argentina/New Zealand” ~5/1 – Pumas tear in early, ABs spoil the party.
Try-Scorer Market – The Wings of Fortune
- Will Jordan – 3/1
- Kurt-Lee Arendse – 4/1
- Cheslin Kolbe – 5/1
- Sevu Reece – 6/1
Arendse at 4/1 is tempting – two games at altitude vs the Wallabies before his lungs know what’s hit them.
Bonus for SA Punters
Betting houses are dangling a risk-free (up to R1,000) outright bet on the Boks to win the whole shebang. If it tanks, you get free bets back. Might as well let them bankroll your patriotism.
Blindsided Wisdom
- Jump early on try-scorers – once teams are confirmed, prices shrink faster than a prop in a cold shower.
- Shop your handicaps – find -17.5 or -19.5, don’t settle.
- HT/FT flips – tiny stakes, huge grins if they land.
Bet like you scrum – low, strong, and knowing exactly when to shove.
