Heineken Cup Rugby Betting Odds Comparison and News
Heineken Cup Showdown Wasps and Munster Ready World Cup HeroesRugby fans nostalgic for the passions of Paris are in luck, with the weekend promising a new bout of riveting rugby to reignite the World Cup flames. This time it is at club level, but the first round of Heineken Cup fixtures promises to raise temperatures - battles between the best of British, Irish and French clubs feature many of the returning World Cup stars, who will bring their brains and bulk to club rugby's biggest stage.
The top clashes are set for Saturday (November 10th), with the competition's two most recent champions lining up at Coventry's Ricoh arena. London Wasps stung opponents last year by storming all the way to victory, while their opponents Munster were triumphant in 2005. The opening pool clash could turn out to be make-or-break, with only one team guaranteed to go through to the quarter finals per group, and both teams likely to see off rivals Clermont Auvergne and Llanelli Scarlets. Dubbed the 'Group of Death', one of Wasps and Munster could end up squeezing through as best placed second-ranking teams once the groups pan out, but both will want first blood. Match betting puts Wasps as 8/13 favourites for Saturday's key clash, but their Irish opponents are a dangerous threat at 5/4.
Ronan O'Gara is now certain to captain Munster, with the leading Heineken Cup points scorer looking to shake off shocking World Cup form with Ireland and rouse his ranks. Also returning for the Magners League side are the likes of Anthony Horgan, Shaun Payne and New Zealander Jake Paringatai. Meanwhile the languishing Londoners – currently sitting in tenth, 15 points shy of Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester – are suffering from the injury moans of England's 'grumpy old men'. Never one to duck out of battle, England captain Phil Vickery looks to be suffering a serious neck injury and will be out, but back-row body-checkers Lawrence Dallaglio and Joe Worsley are in the side, bringing big-game experience from the biggest stage – the World Cup final – to the Coventry crucible.
Punters picking a side will likely do so tentatively, with the poor league form of both teams making a large winning margin for either an unlikely outcome. Munster are seventh in the Magners League, racking up only 11 points from five games and now given a wide 18/1 chance of stuffing Wasps by a 16 to 20 point margin, and a 22/1 chance of putting 21 to 25 points between themselves and the Londoners. Meanwhile Wasps offer no better league position, but did boost confidence by grounding Gloucester in the EDF Energy Cup – Dallaglio's dogged side is more hotly tipped to massacre Munster, with a 31 to 35 point pillaging from the Englishmen perhaps a snip at 22/1.
At their last Heineken Cup meeting Wasps washed up at the death, winning the 2004 semi-final showdown 37-32, while in a 1996 pool-clash thrashing the luck was with the Irishmen. Poor recent form from both sides should not matter tomorrow, when the Heineken Cup pedigree of both teams makes them rise to the occasion.
Another top clash could be Leinster v Leicester, with the Irish side sitting third in the Magners and likely to threaten the fifth-placed Guinness premiership hopefuls. The only side to win back-to-back Heineken Cups, Leicester, are 4/6 favourites and should prevail from a competitive group containing feisty French side Toulouse and unfancied Edinburgh. However, Argentine assassin Felipe Contepomi returns from his World Cup wizardry to join Bok back-row bolsterer Ollie Le Roux in a powerful Leinster side. Michaeil Cheika's side are slim outsiders at 6/5, and at 11/2 are breathing down Leicester's neck (5/1) in the bidding for first try scored.
Will the Irish sides spring a shock and guzzle the celebratory Guinness? Or will England's Premiership party-poopers draw on European pedigree and make mincemeat of the Magners' finest?
