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Rugby World Cup Pool C: New Zealand to crush spirited Georgia

| 02.10.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

New Zealand are even-money favourites with Coral to win the Rugby World Cup, and the All Backs can book their place in the quarter-finals by beating Georgia in a first-ever fixture against the Eastern Europeans.

The Russian satellite state have one win and a loss in Pool C so far, but victory over New Zealand would rank among the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. Georgia are thus 33/1 outsiders to stun the All Blacks, who come as close to betting certainties as you can get at an odds-on 1/1000 price.

Mamuka Gorgodze has provided some inspirational onfield leadership for the Georgians, but they keenly felt his loss when sin-binned against Argentina as three tries were conceded during his 10 minutes off the field.

Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2015 - Pool C - Tonga v Georgia - Kingsholm

Number eight Gorgodze grabbed the first try of Georgia’s 17-10 win over Tonga in the pool opener, but is a massive 40/1 shot to repeat that. His anytime odds to cross are pretty long at 9/1.

Steve Hansen, meanwhile, has once again rang the changes for New Zealand, with just a handful of survivors from the 58-14 win over group minnows Namibia last time out.

Among those in the All Blacks XV to keep his place is winger Julian Savea, who bagged a brace against the Africans. He’s 4/1 to go over first in the Georgia game.

Scrum half Aaron Smith and namesake full back Ben have both also scored tries at this Rugby World Cup, but are odds-on at 2/5 apiece to cross again anytime.

Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2015 - Pool A - New Zealand v Argentina - Wembley Stadium

With New Zealand yet to lay down a real marker in this group, and show their credentials at tournament favourites by battering opponents, the handicap market being set at 64 points rightly raises some eyebrows.

It may thus once again be a market for punters to steer clear of, despite the All Blacks’ much better price of evens to overcome such an imposed deficit. Going for a margin of victory slightly under less than this massive scoreline at somewhere between 41 and 50 points looks more realistic at 9/2.

Taking 11/10 on the first scoring play being a New Zealand penalty, given how Georgian discipline will be stretched to the limit by top rugby pros here, make sense.

Coral’s top tip: The All Blacks have got off the mark with penalty points as their first play in both their pool outings so far, which makes that 11/10 price on that being the first scoring play appealing.

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Author

Jamie Clark

Athletics aficionado, die-hard snooker fan and Crystal Palace supporter Jamie has written for Coral since February 2014 after spells with Soccerlens and the Press Association as a digital journalist and copywriter. A former East Midlands sports correspondent and Bwin tipster, he is a graduate of both the University of York and University of Sheffield, with a Masters in web journalism from the latter.