Many countries across the globe have a long-standing mutual love for the sport of rugby. It is said that the sport was born in an unplanned fashion, way back in 1823 during a football game. This is where student William Webb Ellis opted to pick up the ball with his bare hands and literally run win with it (pun intended). 40 years later, the English heart still beats strong for the newfound sport, and a number of schools in the UK decided on a set of rules this was the inception of rugby as we know it.
Fast forward to today, where rugby has risen in popularity as is one of the main sports enjoyed and bet on across the globe, with the Six Nations Cup being at the forefront of all rugby competitions. The league, formerly known as the Guinness Six Nations is a tournament that is contested by England, Ireland, France, Italy, Scotland, and Wales, with all of them seeking to reign supreme at the end of the games. The 2021 Six Nations Cup kicked off only 3 months after the previous tournament ended, all thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, and of course, just like the previous years, there were no spectators and fans cheering on their go-to Rugby team. At the end of the tournament, the scoreboard saw Wales winning the cup landing 20 points, France following with 16 points, Ireland and Scotland sharing 3rd place with 15 points, England netting 10 points and Italy scoring no points. The question that looms on every Rugby fan out there is loud and clear: Will Wales manage a repeat at the Six Nations Championship this time around? Will they reign supreme once again? Or will there be a Rugby upset coming in the near future?
All the top UK betting sites list different potential winners for this year's Six Nations Cup; so, let us have a closer look at what is on the table, and the odds of who will raise the cup at the end of the competition.
Ireland
Ireland has had quite the run when it comes to the Six Nations Cup. Ireland is not quite big when it comes to marketing their rugby brand, but they do let the talking be done on the pitch. In February 2022, Ireland beat Wales with a score of 29 – 7, and the previous match before that was France vs Ireland with France leading the way with a 30 – 24 win over their Irish opponents. The first match for the Six Nations Championship will see Ireland face Italy on the 27th of February, with Ireland's favorite with the bookies. If we had to look at the overall competition, and Ireland's odds to win it all, there currently stand at 4/1, which makes them in the pole position.
France
France is another contender that does well both in the football and the rugby pitch. When it comes to Rugby, the team has gone from strength to strength, leaving a trail of victories along the way. The first win for France was against the Italian team, where the French secured a win of 37-10. The next match saw France take on Ireland, and secure yet another win with a 30- 24, with both teams being at the very top of the Rugby world, and both contenders for the overall win at the very end. With the passes and defense team of Antone Dupont available for France, the team is quite confident in their overall winning possibilities.
Italy
Italy is not deemed the creme de la creme of Rugby, with the Italians being mode dominant and present in the football pitch, yet the Italian Rigby team still persists and grows through time. Albeit, the team did not display a stellar performance when in the 2021 Six Nations Cup. Their performance is not a chart-topping one, since they lost both their 2 initial games against England and France. The next bout for Italy will be against Ireland, which unfortunately we envisage will be another loss. The team has a great asset in Rugby player Paolo Garbisi that dons the No 10 shirt, yet, if Italy wants to be a strong contender, they need to train some new faces and talent.
Scotland
Scotland is a strong contender when it comes to Rugby. The team has already squashed their counterparts England with a 20 – 17 win and promised their fans that they will unleash some new tactics when it comes to the day they clash with other teams. Unfortunately for Scotland, they found a tough bone to chew when facing Wales, and the Scots suffered a 20 – 17 loss. Upcoming matches include the ones with Italy and France and Ireland, with Scotland expected to take home 2 wins for sure. Will Scotland deliver some of their best Rugby skills to manage to take the crown from Wales? Debatable, to say the least.
Wales
Wales has always been one of the top contenders when it comes to Rugby. They have won many grand slams, yet their performance this season is yet to leave a mark in our hearts. They squared off with Ireland with a loss of 29 – 7 and secured a win with a 20 – 17 against neighboring Scotland. The next matches for Wales would need to win against both England and France, to ensure that the team secures some solid points against the team. Do we believe that the team has enough vigor, stamina, and drive to manage to lift the cup? Not with the current performance that they are displaying, yet the next Twickenham clash against England will be a decider for Wales' next matches.
England
England has always been a formidable team when it comes to Rugby, yet their first match against Scotland did not go as planned, and the team suffered a loss of 20 – 17 against Scotland, yet secured a win over Italy. The upcoming matches for England against Wales and Ireland will be decisive for England to stay at the top of the league. The good news for England is that player Manu Tuilagi will be back following a hamstring injury that saw him miss the first 2 initial games. They say hope is the last to die, and England is living proof of that.
Will Wales manage a repeat of at the Six Nations? Will the Welshman conquer it all and repat the magical win? And will Wayne Pivac's men reign victorious at the very end? Although the team is not at its very best this current season, not everything is lost. Wales is one team to look out for, with the same rugby players craving another win for Wales. Player Dan Biggar would need to drop more goals, with his teammates being available for passes and assistance. Yet again, this is Wales we are talking about here, a pillar of Rugby, and a player that has molded the game to what it is today.
