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Dublin Racing Festival Preview | Racing Postcast

Racing Post’s Maddy Playle is joined by Nick Watts and Paddy Power’s Paul Binfield for a look back at all of the weekend’s highlights and a look towards the best bets this week.

DUBLIN RACING FESTIVAL

The Dublin Racing Festival will combine the best that the city has to offer over one weekend – join the party for the best of Dublin culture, music, fashion, food and jump racing that will simply take your breath away. Dazzle your senses in our jubilant celebration of Dublin with a full entertainment programme that supports culture, comedy, music, culinary delights and fashion. Savour the atmosphere that is unique only to Dublin – full of welcome, easy conversations, wit, warmth and humour.

*Children under the age of 18 enter for free but must be accompanied by a paying parent/guardian who is over 18*

France set for shock Six Nations win

The rugby world cup last autumn is a good marker for this upcoming six nations tournament. England fell agonizingly close to winning their second rugby world cup but were upstaged in the final by South Africa, who in the end won the match well.

England performed very well throughout the tournament winning their pool comfortably and then beating Australia in the quarter-final and their best performance against New Zealand in the semi-final. Unfortunately, England couldn’t repeat their performance against New Zealand and couldn’t bring the trophy home.

England had some top performers during the work cup in Owen Farrell, Jonny May, and George Ford who all played superbly well in their respective positions. However, the key player to stand out was Mario Itoje who was very impressive against New Zealand especially. Given the forward position he played is important Itoje looks a top prospect.

Naturally, with a runner up position at the world cup, England goes into this Six Nations tournaments as favourites at odds of 1.9 (10/11), however, they may not find it their own way.

WALES IN THE SIX NATIONS

The next best performer from Europe during the world cup was Wales. They were narrowly defeated 19-16 in the semi-final of the world cup and played a good tournament. They just rain out of steam in the 2nd half of the semi-final and were undone by the forward strength of the South Africans, but they can be proud of themselves and a few key standouts were Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar who both should be fit and ready for this six nations tournament. 

As defending champions, the pressure will be on Wales to deliver a repeat performance however they have to visit England and Ireland during the tournament which won’t be easy.

Next best after Wales was Ireland and France. Ireland were heavily defeated by New Zealand in the quarter-finals and with a squad who is aging they will need young talent to come through to keep them in the race for this years tournament. 

Ireland will always be competitive, but they may well miss out on glory given France, England and Wales have better squads.

The French are improving and have a good crop of young talent coming through which could cause problems in this tournament. They were defeated 20-19 by Wales in the quarter-final and there isn’t much between these sides and the French will be well prepared for this tournament.

 

Preview:

France opens this year’s tournament with a home match against England who may still be wounded by that final loss to South Africa. If so France can pounce with home advantage and newfound confidence in the backs and forward line. With Italy at home after that, France outperforms their odds of 8.0 (7/1).

As mentioned England are hot favourites to land the six nations at 1.8 (4/5) but we would be wary of advising punters to go in on an odds on price when this tournament should be very competitive and close.

Ireland are 5.0 (4/1) to win the tournament and like France, Ireland will have to get off to a great start with a win over Scotland to have any chance of lifting the trophy in March. They have back to back home matches and after Scotland, they face Wales at home before heading to Twickenham to face England. 

Wales are next best at 7.0 (6/1) to win the six nations and have a nice schedule on paper to lead from the front and do well. They start with a home match against Italy which should be a comfortable victory. 

Tips

Our top tip for the six nations may be a surprise to many but the young French team can cause a lot of problems and with the increased power in their forward ranks and more flair in the backs, the French can defeat England in the opening match follow up with another victory over Italy. They travel on the road to Wales and Scotland then the final match, which may well be the key match is at home to Ireland.

Our next tip is in the ‘Grand Slam’ Winner market. This market is won if a team successfully wins all their matches. England are the most likely team to win at  the odds on the best sportsbooks of 2.62 (13/8), but our top tip for this market is now a winner at 2.25 (5/4). This is our best bet for the tournament as the quality of the teams is high and it’s likely that each team will suffer at least one defeat, meaning.

 

Top Tip

8.0 (7/1) France to win the Six Nations Tournament 

2.25 (5/4 ) No winner of the Grand Slam

2020 and 2021 Six Nations Fixtures confirmed

New Ireland rugby manager Andy Farrell will begin his tenure in the Six Nations with a home against Scotland on the 1st of February 2020 it has been confirmed after the fixture details for the 2020 and 2021 were released.

The second game will also be at home to 2019 Grand Slam winners Wales on Saturday 8th of February 2020 , while Farrell will travel to a place he knows oh so well on the 23rd of February when he brings Ireland to Twickenham, the fourth side Ireland will face in the tournament that year is Italy also at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 4th of March , whether Conor O’Shea will be at the helm still we just have to wait and see.

LAST GAME

The final game which could potentially be a Grand Slam game for Ireland presuming they beat all other 4 teams is a difficult assignment in Paris against France. This game will the final game of the tournament for 2020, it’s on the 14th of February.

The tournament chiefs have also released the 2021 fixtures. It looks a very difficult assignment again. Ireland will travel to Wales for their first game of the 2021 Six Nations on Sunday the 7th of February, a week later on Valentine’s Day they welcome France to the Aviva Stadium. A loss in either of these game would impact their Six Nations hugely. On the 27th of February Ireland will travel to Rome to play Italy, before they finish with two very tough games away to Scotland on Sunday 14th of March and home to England on Saturday the 20th of March.

Fixture details of both Six Nations 2020 and 2021 can be seen below with times and dates:

2020 Six Nations fixtures

Ireland vs Scotland, 16.45, Saturday, February 1

Ireland vs Wales, 14.15, Saturday, February 8

England vs Ireland, 15.00, Sunday, February 23

Ireland v Italy, 14.15, Saturday, March 7

France vs Ireland, 20.00, Saturday, March 14

2021 Six Nations fixtures

Wales vs Ireland, 15.00, Sunday, February 7

Ireland vs France, 15.00, Sunday, February 14

Italy vs Ireland, 14.15, Saturday, February 27

Scotland vs Ireland, 15.00, Sunday, March 14

Ireland vs England, 16.45, Saturday, March 20

Classy Cats beat Dublin 3-21 to 0-18

Brian Cody’s Kilkenny made the perfect start to the league after a convincing 3-21 to 0-18 win over Dublin at Nowlan Park. The 12 point was even made the more better as Kilkenny finished the game with just 14 players after Richie Leahy was sent off on 26 minutes.

Both sides tried to lay down a marker early on with the tackles going in hard but fair. Oisin O’Rorke opened Dublin’s account from a free after Danny Sutcliffe was fouled. Dublin would not lead the game anymore however. Kilkenny minus the Ballyhale contingent got a super goal on 11 minutes when Ger Aylward finished to the net after some good play from Paddy Deegan, Billy Ryan and Walter Walsh.

The Cats got their second major on 24 minutes. This time Billy Ryan was the scorer as he intercepted a handpass before running and firing to the net. It was 2-06 to 0-06 now, but Richie Leahy then dismissed by Paud O’Dwyer for a frontal challenge. Ronan Hayes pointed the free. Niall Brassil almost instantly went down the field and raised a white flag for Kilkenny, as did Alan Murphy (free), to make it 2-08 to 0-07. Murphy continued his accuracy from frees taking Kilkenny in 2-10 to 0-10 at the break.

Sean Moran registered Dublin’s opening score of the half, Eamonn Dillion then followed that up. Murphy and Brassil though extended the Kilkenny lead back out to 6 points by the 44th minute. Then game the game clincher on 54 minutes. Billy Ryan grabbing his second goal of the game Dublin keeper Alan Nolan unable to keep it out. Brian Cody was delighted with the win speaking to RTE Sport he said, “Before the game we would have been looking at it as a huge, huge battle to try to win it. I suppose we got into the game early and we kept it going well, and we’re happy today”. He also said Richie Hogan is going well in training and is likely to return next weekend for the Carlow game, he said, “Richie (Hogan) is going well in training, and he might be available for next week’s game (against Carlow).”

Kilkenny: E Murphy; C Wallace, H Lawlor, C Delaney; M Cody, P Deegan (0-2), M Carey (0-1); C Fogarty (0-2), A. Murphy (0-8, 7f, ‘65); J Donnelly (0-1), W Walsh (0-2), R Leahy; B Ryan (2-0), G Aylward (1-0), N Brassil (0-2). Subs: M Keoghan (0-1) for G Aylward (46mins), J Maher for A Murphy (52), T Walsh for Cody (57), B Sheehan (0-1) for B Ryan (60), L Scanlon (0-1) for Brassil (65).
Dublin: A Nolan; P Smyth, E O’Donnell, J Madden; C Crummey (0-1), D Gray, C O’Callaghan; F Whitely, R McBride (0-1); T Connolly (0-1), D Sutcliffe (0-1), R Hayes (0-2, 1f); C Boland, O O’Rorke (0-6, 4f), E Dillon (0-2). Subs: S Moran (0-4, 3f) for F Whitely (30mins), Jake Malone for J Madden (HT), Mark Schutte for C Bolang (40), L McMullen for T Connolly (57), J Hetherton for McBride (65).

Waterford Hurlers claim valuable 1-24 to 3-17 result over Cork

Liam Cahill’s Waterford hurlers opened their Allianz League account with a valuable 1-24 to 3-17 win over Cork at Walsh Park. Kieran Kingston’s side though will be wondering how they let the game slip by them shooting an astonishing 17 wides. 

In fairness to Cork they made a superb start to this game rattling in two goals in the opening three minutes. Shane Kingston grabbed the first major, which was soon followed up by a strike from Conor Lehane. However, the Bennett brothers, Kieran and Stephen brought the Deise back into contention with some excellent points.

CORK GOAL

Patrick Curran netted on 12 minutes to reduce the gap to the minimum. Calum Lyons and Neil Montgomery doing most of work before laying the ball off to Curran. Jack Fagan and Stephen Bennett knocked over points to give Waterford the lead on 14 minutes. Patrick Horgan was been well marshalled by the Waterford defence, in fact the Glen Rovers man failed to score from play in the game. However, his accuracy from frees kept Cork firmly in the hunt. Shane Kingston should of done better on 27 minutes when his goal bound shot went wide. Stephen Bennett hit two points over in added time, while Patrick Curran also raised two white flags as Waterford led at the break 1-13 to 2-08.

Waterford started the second half where they left off. Stephen Bennett firing over two points in just over a minute. However, Cork defenders Mark Coleman and Damian Cahalane pointed for Kieran Kingston’s charges. However, Waterford pushed on in the an 11 minute outscoring the Rebels by three points. Horgan and Bennett traded points from frees on 68 minutes, before Shane Kingston goal meant Cork had a chance of rescueing a draw. Damian Cahalane registered his third point of the game with a point now between the sides. Waterford held on for the win they deserved in on the balance of play. 

 

Waterford: S O’Keeffe; C Gleeson, C Prunty, S McNulty; C Lyons, D Fives, I Daly (0-01); J Prendergast (0-01), J Dillon; N Montgomery, J Fagan (0-02; 0-01 sideline), K Bennett (0-5; 0-01 sideline); D Hutchinson, S Bennett (0-11; 0-07f, 0-01 sideline), P Curran (1-03).

Subs used: K Power for C Lyons (Blood, 22-25), S Fives for C Gleeson (30), M Kearney (0-01) for J Dillon (50), P Hogan for D Hutchinson (54), D Lyons for N Montgomery (59) and T Barron for J Fagan (62).

Cork: A Nash; N O’Leary, R Downey, S O’Donoghue; C O’Leary, T O’Mahony, D Cahalane (0-03); B Cooper, M Coleman (0-02); S Harnedy (0-02), D Fitzgibbon (0-02), A Walsh; C Lehane (1-00), S Kingston (2-02), P Horgan (0-06f).

Subs used: L Meade for A Walsh (50), S O’Leary Hayes for N O’Leary (54), S Twomey for C Lehane (60) and R O’Flynn for S Harnedy (68).

 

Rugby Transfer News – Six Players Commit To Munster

Rugby transfer news – It was a good morning for Munster Rugby fans with six players committing to the club.

Stephen Archer, Dan Goggin and Liam O’Connor have all signed contract extensions with the province, while Academy trio Liam Coombes, Alex McHenry and Jack O’Sullivan will be promoted to the senior ranks at the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

All six players have advanced from the provincial pathway.

Stephen Archer has been a vital member of the Munster squad since making his debut against Edinburgh in October 2009.

The 31-year-old is one of just 11 players to have played more than 200 games for the province and has earned two Ireland caps.

The Cork native has been a near ever-present over the past three seasons with 29 appearances last year, more than any other player in the squad, and 28 appearances in the two preceding campaigns.

Archer has signed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain with Munster until at least June 2022.

Dan Goggin has established himself as a regular in the province’s team sheets with the 25-year-old making 55 appearances for Munster, scoring seven tries.

Combining his speed and physicality, the Limerick native plays a key role across the backline. Goggin, who was deservedly named last season’s Young Player of the Year, has signed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain with the province until at least June 2022.

Prop Liam O’Connor has also put pen to paper on a two-year extension. The 24-year-old has made 26 appearances since making his competitive debut against Stade Francais in the Champions Cup in January 2016.

An exciting prospect, the Cork-man has showed great resilience in returning from a long-term injury that saw him miss out on a year of rugby in 2018.

In advancing from his final year of the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy, Jack O’Sullivan will be promoted to the senior ranks next season after signing a three-year contract.

The back row is first cousin to brothers Rory and Niall Scannell. Having missed the majority of last season through injury, the 21-year-old showed a glimpse of what’s to come when he marked his first senior appearance with a fantastic solo try against London Irish in pre-season.

He has since made five competitive appearances in red, including his Champions Cup debut against Ospreys last week.

Continuing the family theme, fellow third year Greencore Academy player Liam Coombes will follow in first cousin Gavin’s footsteps when he moves up to a senior contract next season.

The winger made an impressive try-scoring debut against Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in November 2018 and has made four appearances at senior level. The 22-year-old has signed a one-year contract with the province.

Alex McHenry also progresses to the senior squad after his final year in the Academy. The centre made his Guinness PRO14 debut away to Benetton last April and has scored four tries in 14 Munster A appearances in the Celtic Cup and British & Irish Cup. The 22-year-old has also signed a one-year contract.

Commenting on the contract news, Head Coach Johann van Graan said: “Getting these six contracts confirmed is really great news for the province. Stephen, Dan, both Liams, Jack and Alex are hugely talented players, and as a result of the work carried out at club and schools level, we get to reap the benefits every time they pull on a red jersey.”

GAA Review – Galway battle to beat Monaghan

Allianz Football League – Division 1

Galway 1-14 Monaghan 0-16

Pearse Stadium, Salthill
January 26th 2020 @2:30pm,
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

The Padráic Joyce era got off to a winning start in front of over 7,600 at a crisp Pearse Stadium this afternoon. They did it the hard way, holding on late into stoppage time to a single point lead.

Padráic Joyce celebrating after Galway’s slender win over Monaghan. Photo Credit: Shane Tighe

Joyce has yet to show his full hand as Galway are still short some of their club contingent. Corofin captured their third All-Ireland Club crown on the trot last weekend. While Oughterard added the Intermediate All-Ireland for the county with a win over Monaghan’s Maghercloone in the curtain-raiser to Dublin v Kerry at headquarters yesterday evening.

Pre-season has shown promise for Galway new approach as the FBD title was secured with a win over Roscommon. But that would count for little, as Monaghan in top-flight action would be a more daunting proposition. Séamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney was back at the helm for the Farney men as they came in search of another win at Pearse Stadium. Two years ago Monaghan cruised to an easy win in a Super 8 game at the Salthill venue.

The home side started well with two early points from a Shane Walsh free and a cleverly dummied point from the inventive Finian Ó Laoí. The later coming into the starting side as a late change for Tomás Flynn.

Monaghan responded in-kind with two points from Conor McManus. McManus was also a late change to the Monaghan line-up. Not originally listed to start the veteran forward came into the side in a late reshuffle for full-back Drew Wylie. Needless to say, McManus did his work at the other end of the field as Ryan Wylie, Dessie Ward and Dermot Malone all dropped back a line.

Crucial Goal

A further two-point exchange between the sides saw the score tied at 0-4 apiece before Robert Finnerty struck for the games only goal. Shane Walsh showed great vision to pick out Michael Boyle, who in turn fed the goal scorer. Finnerty, the son of former Mayo stalwart Anthony, showed great composure to round Rory Beggan in the Farey goal before slotting the ball into the empty net.

Monaghan reduced the gap to a single point with scores from Kieran Hughes and Conor McCarthy, but the home side pushed on with a trio of unanswered points from Adrian Varley and Shane Walsh (0-2).

The drama continued unabated during this spell as there were goal chances at either end. Firstly a stray fisted back pass from Ryan McAnespie caught Beggan flat-footed and the keeper did well to prevent it from ending up in the net. Soon after at the other end, Monaghan had a glorious chance to square things up when Dessie Ward was fouled. However, Conor Gleeson in the Galway goal sprung to his right to parry away Connor McManus’s spot-kick. Gleeson, a former Galway United goalkeeper, is quickly gaining a reputation as a fine shot-stopper. He also saved two spot-kicks in Galway’s recent FBD final shoot-out win over Roscommon.

Conor Gleeson pushes away Conor McManus’ penalty effort late in the first-half. Photo credit: Shane Tighe.

Monaghan Kepper’ Rory Beggan drove over a 45’ and Tuam Stars wing-back Gary O’Donnell shot over at the other end to a goal separating the sides tied at the interval. Galway 1-08 v Monaghan 0-8.

Second-half

Galway outscored Monaghan 3 points to 1 after the restart to push the gap out to five points. Firstly Finnerty blazed over the bar when he could have had a second goal, before McManus responded for the Farney men. Paul Conroy and Walsh then added two more Galway scores.

At this stage it looked like the home side would pull away for a comfortable win. However, Padraic Joyce’s side then showed the failings of old. They took their foot off the gas and went the next twenty minutes without a score. Monaghan made hay during this spell. The tactic of Rory Beggan carrying the ball upfield unmolested reaped dividends. The Monaghan keeper’s forays up past his own 45’ created space for others. Five unanswered points from Kieran Hughes, McManus, McCarron and substitutes Chris McGuinness & Aaron Mulligan level up the game at 1-11 v 0-14 as the game entered the last ten minutes of regulation time.

A Shane Walsh free, after he had been cynically taken down, edged Galway back in front. Conor McManus then tied the game up again. A move that started with a goal-line clearance from Seán Mullkerrin led to a fisted point for Damien Comer. Matthias Barrett then added another point from the kick-out. Conor McManus cut the gap to the minimum with a sublime free-kick from the lefthand sideline.

Galway hung-on during five additional minutes at the end as the Farney men pressed for a draw. They survived a hop-ball inside their 22’ and an even later scare when they won a free out at the death.

Galway

Connor Gleeson (Dunmore)
Johny Duane (St.James)
Seán Mulkerrin (Oileáin Árann)
Johnny Heaney (Killanin)
Gary O’Donnell (Tuam Stars) 0-1
John Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough)
Cillian McDaid (Monevia/Abbey)
Finián Ó Laoí (An Spidéal) 0-1
Céin D’Arcy (Cathair Loisgreain). 0-1
Paul Conroy (St.James) 0-1
Michael Boyle (Killerrin)
Michael Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough)
Adrian Varley (Cortoon Shamrocks) 0-1
Shane Walsh (Kilkerrin/Clonberne) 0-6 5f
Robert Finnerty (Salthill/Knocknacarra) 1-01

Subs:
Damien Comer (Annaghdown) 0-1
Eammon Brannigan (St. Michael’s)
Matthais Barrett (Leitir Mór)
Liam Costello (Milltown)
Sean Kelly (Moycullen) 0-1

Monaghan

Rory Beggan (An Bhoth) 0-1 45’
Kieran Duffy (Leachtain) 0-1
Conor Boyle (Cluain Tiobraid)
Karl O’Connell (Tigh Thalainn)
Ryan Mc Anespie (Scairbh na gCaorach) 0-1
Ryan Wylie (Béal Átha Beithe)
Darren Hughes (An Bhoth)
Niall Kearns (Seán Mac Diramada)
Kieran Hughes (An Bhoth) 0-2
Michael Bannigan (Achadh na Muileann)
Dessie Ward (Béal Átha Beithe)
Dermot Malone (Fág An Bealach)
Conor McCarthy (An Bhoth) 0-1
Jack McCarron (Curraichín) 0-2 1f

2020 Super Rugby Squads & Fixture dates

2020 Super Rugby Squads & Fixture dates have been announced and a huge 46 ‘rookies’ have signed their first contracts.

New Zealand’s next generation of young stars, a splash of international talent and a strong core of established stars are spread across the five Investec Super Rugby squads named to contest the competition’s 25th year.

Forty-six ‘rookies’, defined as those players who have signed their first full-time Investec Super Rugby contracts, are among the 195 players contracted to the Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes for the 2020 season.

There are also nine international players with all five clubs fielding at least one, seven sets of siblings, and 11 players whose fathers also played Investec Super Rugby.

The official rookies’ class of 2020 is:

Blues (8): Emoni Narawa, Kurt Eklund, Baden Wardlaw (Bay of Plenty), Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Auckland), Jared Page, Mark Telea, Jack Heighton (North Harbour), Jordan Hyland* (Northland).

Chiefs (9): Bradley Slater*, Kini Naholo, Lisati Milo-Harris (Taranaki), Quinn Tupaea (Waikato), Ryan Coxon* (Tasman), Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington), Dylan Nel (Otago), Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty), Orbyn Leger* (Counties Manukau).

Hurricanes (5): Kane Leaupepe* (Bay of Plenty), Xavier Numia* (Wellington), Pouri Rakete-Stones, Devan Flanders, Danny Toala* (Hawke’s Bay).

Crusaders (12): Isi Tuungafasi* (Northland), George Bower* (Otago), Tom Christie, Brodie McAlister*, Cullen Grace, Fergus Burke, Inga Finau, Dallas McLeod (Canterbury), Ethan Roots (North Harbour), Sione Havili*, Fetuli Paea (Tasman), Sevu Reece* (Waikato).

Highlanders (12): Jeff Thwaites*, Zane Kapeli (Bay of Plenty), Jona Nareki, Ricky Jackson, Sione Misiloi (Otago), Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Ethan De Groot (Southland), Jesse Parete* (Taranaki), Kirisi Kuridrani** (Counties Manukau), Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Connor Garden-Bachop (Wellington), Scott Gregory (Northland).

*Previously played Investec Super Rugby on an interim contract.
**Previously played Super Rugby in Australia.

To view the full list of 2020 Super Rugby Squads & Fixture Investec Super Rugby Squads click here: Full list of 2020 Super Rugby Fixtures click here 

Highlighting the strength of New Zealand Rugby’s development pathway are eight players from the 2019 New Zealand Under 20 squad – Dallas McLeod, Cullen Grace, Fergus Burke and Leicester Faingaanuku (Crusaders); Etene Nanai-Seturo, Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs); Devan Flanders (Hurricanes); and Scott Gregory (Highlanders). An additional 21 players have previously been part of the New Zealand Under 20 programme.

Lock Cullen Grace at the Crusaders will be the youngest player at 19 years old, while Hurricanes prop Ben May will be the oldest, at 37.

Nanai-Seturo and Gregory, along with Caleb Clarke (Blues) and Salesi Rayasi (Hurricanes), have put their names forward to join the All Blacks Sevens Olympic campaign next year, meaning the Chiefs, Highlanders, Blues and Hurricanes have been allowed to contract an extra player as cover for the 2020 season.

There are nine international recruits including thrice-capped England and Harlequins centre-wing Joe Marchant at the Blues, and former Sharks centre Kobus van Wyk, who joins the Hurricanes from South Africa.

Canadian captain Tyler Ardron returns from Rugby World Cup duties to the Chiefs, Tongan Rugby World Cup call-up Fetuli Paea joins the Crusaders, while former Australian under 20s representative Kirisi Kuridrani links up with the Highlanders.

Other international players include Samoa’s Ray Niuia (Blues) and Kane Leaupepe (Hurricanes), Tonga’s Zane Kapeli (Highlanders), and United States representative Tony Lamborn (Blues).

Family ties are as strong as ever. Rookies Isi Tuungafasi (Crusaders) and Connor Garden-Bachop (Highlanders) and the return of Peter Umaga-Jensen (Hurricanes) join the ranks of sibling sets which total seven in 2020.

Tuungafasi is the younger brother of Blues and All Blacks prop Ofa, Garden-Bachop is the younger brother of Hurricanes first five-eighth Jackson, while Umaga-Jensen’s twin brother Thomas is a Highlander. The other twins are the Goodhue boys, Jack (Crusaders) and Josh (Blues).

Beauden Barrett’s move to the Blues means the family’s sibling rivalry now stretches across three clubs with Jordie at the Hurricanes, and Scott with the Crusaders. Rieko and Akira Ioane (Blues); and the Lienert-Brown boys Anton (Chiefs) and Daniel (Highlanders) round out the seven sets of Super siblings.

New Zealand Rugby Chief Rugby Officer Nigel Cass congratulated all the players on their selection.

“The year following a Rugby World Cup inevitably creates opportunities for young players and we are fortunate that a large group of players have taken that chance with both hands.

“The Mitre 10 Cup has once again developed players to a high level and our New Zealand Under 20 programme continues to deliver exceptional talent.”

The mixture of youth and experience across the five squads was symbolic of how the competition had evolved during the past 25 years, Cass said.

“When you see there are 11 players in the 2020 squads whose father also played Super Rugby, you start to appreciate the competition’s rich history.

“Like those players, many of our fans will have a deep connection to Super Rugby through attending matches with their parents, and now bringing their own children to the games.

“We’ve moved kick-off times forward to make the competition more accessible to families and we’re looking forward to making more special memories as we celebrate 25 years with some exciting and entertaining rugby.”

As well as early kick-off times Investec Super Rugby clubs have individual kids-free season pass offerings for the 2020 season.

The 2020 Investec Super Rugby season officially kicks off on 31 January.

Full Investec Super Rugby Squads

Blues 2020 squad

Chiefs 2020 squad

Crusaders 2020 squad

Highlanders 2020 squad

Hurricanes 2020 squad

OPENING WEEKEND FIXTURES

Friday, January 31: Blues v Chiefs, Brumbies v Reds, Sharks v Bulls; 

Saturday, February: 1: Sunwolves v Rebels, Crusaders v Waratahs, Stormers v Hurricanes, Jaguares v Lions.

Tournament Notes

The tournament’s 15-team, three-Conference format remains the same in 2020. Each team plays 16 regular season conference matches that include eight matches within their own Conference (home and away) and four matches against teams from each of the other Conferences (home or away). Each team also has two byes. This is a total of 120 matches in the regular season.

Australia Conference: Brumbies, Rebels, Reds, Waratahs, Sunwolves [Japan]

New Zealand Conference: Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes

South African Conference: Bulls, Lions, Sharks, Stormers, Jaguares [Argentina]

The Finals series will again comprise a seven-match, three-week, eight-team finals series. Each of the three Conference winners will host a quarter-final. The team with the most tournament points that is not a Conference winner, regardless of Conference, will host the fourth quarter-final. This Wildcard team will be joined in the quarter-finals by the next best four Wildcard teams based on tournament points and regardless of Conference

Horse Racing Betting: Key Factors, Tips and Popular Strategies

According to one version, it was at the hippodrome that bookmakers and sports betting were born.

At first glance, everything is simple in horse racing: I chose a horse, put it on it, and if it came first, I got a win. In fact, betting on horse racing, like any other sport, has its own nuances. In this material we will try to talk about the main and main.

Horse racing is one of the most popular sports in a number of countries: in the USA, Australia, Britain, the United Arab Emirates. Competitions are held at different distances and on various coatings (grass, sand, etc.), and only this already indicates that you need to understand before placing bets on horse racing.

Types of horse racing bets

Consider the most common horse racing betting options:

Bet on winner – Everything is simple here. The usual type of bet on the winner of the race. We choose a horse, and if she comes to the finish line first, we get a win. There is also the opportunity to choose a horse and make the opposite bet, that is, if he does not come to the finish line first, you get a win.

Place, Show, and Across the Board Bets. To increase the probability of winning, winners win. That is, the selected horse should be in the top 3 at the end of the race.

Betting on the winners in the correct sequence. Also in races there is such a type of bets as Forecast. Here the player must guess the horses that will come first and second in the race. The variation of the bet can change, giving the player the opportunity to place randomly on certain places that the horses will occupy.

Some bookmakers with Forecast offer the Tricast bet option. This bet is identical to the above, with only one caveat: here you need to choose three horses already.

Who has a higher position. In this bet, a player from any two horses selects the one who will take a higher place. That is, throughout the race, the player observes the duel of two horses.

Horse Racing Betting Useful Tips

Decide on the type of racing and race

There are not many leaps in the world. Especially in summer. Therefore, we advise you to determine the type of horse racing and specific races that you will watch regularly and for which you will always have comprehensive information. In the future, bet only on them. Also, We advise you to read free horse racing tips from professional racing tipsters.

Create a database

If you follow one of the races stably, then most likely you can easily navigate in the form of its participants. Creating a database in which you will enter information about the races and participants will significantly increase your chances of winning.

By the way, there are special services that collect and provide download statistics.

Pay attention to the weather.

Racing in the summer months is the most difficult for bookies. Basically, the weather at this time is good, the track is dry and the same during all races.

Nevertheless, with changing weather, the result may change. So pay attention to her. When analyzing the results of the horses, pay attention to the conditions under which they gained victories and in what conditions they will have to compete in the upcoming race.

Take into account the style of the participants

Evaluate the style of each of the horses and the form in which they approached the race. Not many players pay attention to the style of horses, and you need to have a “scoop” to use this factor. For example, two leaders of a race can “drive” from the start and become so carried away by a personal confrontation that a horse running right behind them will get a chance to finish.

Bet not on jockeys names, but on the form

Horses from big stables are not always real favorites. Of course, in the eyes of bookmakers and most players, they will remain the main contenders for the victory. But you should pay attention not to the name, but to the form in which this or that horse approaches the race. Far from the fact that the popular horse finishes first. Arm yourself with the results.

Also pay attention to the trainers. Coaches who are young and hungry for victories often give better results than their venerable colleagues, who are fed up with success.

Avoid clear favorites, bet on victory / place

It is extremely rare that a bet on a steed with a coefficient below 2.00 is valued. Better to avoid betting on clear favorites. Better to bet on victory / place (each-way bet), and it is better to bet on races in which 8-10 horses take part.

Draw factor

It is important for the player to understand which of the horses will have the greatest chance of success. A lot depends on the draw: which race participant will start the race. The soil on different parts of the track may differ, respectively, this may give an advantage to one of the horses, and for the other, on the contrary, create difficulties.

What should you pay attention to in betting on horse racing?

Horse age

Undoubtedly, a young horse at short distances has a better chance than his “elderly” brother. But if you are a fan of long-distance races, then experience plays the main role.

Race length

Before you make a bet, you need to know how long the race will be and if there was a break in front of it at the mount. If this is a sprint (short run), then the horse needs to rest for at least a month, but if it is a long distance, then a long break is not necessary, or rather, it is undesirable.

Jockey weight

The average weight of a jockey is 60 kilograms. But novice athletes are allowed to exceed this limit to improve balance with the steed. So it becomes clear that the easier the jockey is, the more experienced it is and has more chances to win.

Weather

Weather, as in other outdoor sports, can bring unexpected results when the favorites are inferior to outsiders. Therefore, before betting, it is necessary to clarify the weather conditions at the hippodrome.

Horse Racing Strategies

Trixie

The most popular horse racing game strategy. Immediately make a reservation that it does not guarantee a 100% win. In equestrian sport, as in any other discipline, there are sensations where the favorites are inferior to outsiders.

In the first races of the day, you must select three favorites at different racetracks with a coefficient of at least 2.00. Then the selected horses must be combined into one bet called “Trixie”. That is, you need to make one triple accumulator bet and three double bets.

Example:

horse 1 + horse 2

horse 2 + horse 3

horse 1 + horse 3

horse 1 + horse 2 + horse 3

The bet amount for each is £100 (in total – £400). The odds for any of the favorites are 2.00. If two of the three horses win, you win back your bet, and if all three horses get into the top three, then the prize will be £2000 (for double expresses £400 and a “tee” – £800).

A similar system can be used when betting on two favorites in the initial (morning) races. Only now you need to put two ordinaries on the favorites and one express.

Al-Capone Accountant Strategy

According to legend, the following strategy for betting on races was invented by the chief accountant of an American gangster. Its essence is that the player finds races where the odds offered by the bookmakers for favorites are overstated and fluctuate around 4.00. Then a bet is made on several favorites at once. If one horse wins, the player remains in the black.

Video – Chris Farrell On The New Structure In The Ireland Camp

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Farrell is enjoying the new structure of the week, the voices in the coaching team and having the younger players in camp.

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