The Springboks and All Blacks maintained their impressive form in the Nations Championship this past Saturday while Ireland and France claimed important victories for the north.
The second round of the Nations Championship witnessed some big scores and close contests, although many of the victors fired at the death to increase their winning margins.
Italy rebounded from a shock loss to Japan to give the All Blacks a fright in the first half of the game staged in Wellington on Saturday. New Zealand took charge after the break, though, to win 47-17 – but brave bettors who bet on the +32 handicap were rewarded.
The Wallabies enjoyed a similarly promising start in Brisbane, and went to the break with a 21-12 lead. After half-time, however, France scored 30 points to win by an emphatic 42-26 margin.
Japan pushed Ireland in the the clash staged in Newcastle, before Andy Farrell's side pulled away in the final quarter to secure a 36-20 win. Before the round, SuperSportBet suggested that the +21 handicap bet was worth taking, and bettors who took that advice earned a 2.00 return.
England hammered Fiji 73-8 in Liverpool to snap their five-game losing streak. It was a one-sided affair, with the hosts scoring 11 tries against the hapless Pacific islanders.
Springboks Edge Scotland In Pretoria
The contest was a lot tighter at Loftus Versfeld. The Boks fired at the death to secure a 42-28 victory over Scotland, but didn't have everything their own way – and as SuperSportBet predicted beforehand, the +17 handicap bet (2.00) was always going to be a good one to take, given the recent battles and scorelines between these two teams.
Over in Argentina, the Pumas rebounded from their first round loss to Scotland to claim a 35-21 bonus-point win over Wales in San Juan. Again, Once again, the losers managed to finish within the handicap (+17 at 1.95).
The weekend's results see Ireland moving to the head of the northern conference, and the Boks consolidating their position at the top of the southern division.
Nations Championship First Phase Conclusion
The first phase of the Nations Championship concludes this weekend, with matches staged in Australasia, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Argentina.
The All Blacks host Ireland in Auckland, the Wallabies tackle Italy in Perth, and Japan face France in Tokyo.
Scotland play Fiji in Edinburgh before the Boks line up Wales in Durban, and Argentina front England in Santiago del Estero in the final clash of the July Tests.
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