Rugby Union – England v New Zealand

Having already faced Australia and Argentina, life doesn’t get any easier as England take on a strong New Zealand side. Rugby Union spread bet buyers of England’s win index will be concerned that since winning the World Cup the Red Rose have lost all of their seven matches against the All Blacks, the side’s longest winless streak against NZ in their history. Three of these defeats were on English soil. Buyers of the All Blacks win index spread will be further pleased that NZ have an immaculate autumn record against all teams since the 2003 World cup finals, taking the spoils in every one of their 15 games.

Spread punters may conclude there is more value in the supremacy spread knowing that New Zealand will be heavily handicapped. Sellers of the spread might well point to the narrow 19-23 loss in 2005, where England trailed by just three at half-time but supremacy spread buyers will have a stronger recollection that England failed to breach their opponent’s try-line in New Zealand’s last visit to Twickenham, which ended 32-6 to the Kiwis. The average winning margin in head-to-heads since 2003 is as much as 26 points. Another note of caution for sellers of NZ’s supremacy lies in the fact that England have only got within 15 points once since, in 2005. Their largest defeat was by 42 points back in 1998 and spread sellers should also be aware that in the last seven matches between these sides NZ have accumulated a total of 249 points compared to England’s 92.

These figures will also be interesting to buyers and sellers of Sporting Index’s total points spread market, who can work out from this that in this time total match points between the sides have averaged just less than 49. In addition, seeing arguably the best fly-half in the world, Dan Carter, back in the All Blacks starting XV after his ban for a high-tackle against Wales will be a huge positive to total points spread buyers. He has played in every one of these seven Tests for his country scoring an awesome total of 137 points in the process – an average of 20 points per match. Even at Twickenham, he averages 18.67 points, five points more than his average in all games away from New Zealand. He is not only useful as a kicker - for buyers of his try minutes spread market, he has also scored a try in four of the seven.

Punters looking for a spread bet on the total tries market should be aware that New Zealand have scored at least two tries in every one of these games and, frighteningly, average 4.2 tries a match. Spread buyers should look at the other side of NZ’s game too though - they have stopped their opponents scoring seven times, including in each of the last four games. Sellers of England tries will be hoping it will soon become five-in-a-row.