Sports gambling and the rugby World Cup

There is no doubt that sports gambling fans in Ireland tend to focus their attention primarily on horse racing and football, but they also take an interest in any major sporting event even if it involves a sport which they would not normally follow. With this in mind we are sure that a large number of Irish sports gambling enthusiasts will be watching and gambling on rugby this weekend. After all a World Cup does not come round very often particularly one involving the Ireland national team in the latter stages of the tournament. Over recent years Irish rugby gambling fans have watched their international side achieve a great deal of success in the six nations and so far the side has performed well in the World Cup reaching the quarter finals without any major scares. Most observers and fans of gambling on rugby have expressed the opinion that this World Cup has produced some excellent games so far, but we are now at the business end of the tournament and all the quarter finalists will be feeling the pressure. Once again the quarter finals have pitched the northern hemisphere against the southern hemisphere in all the games, so which of the six nations sides if any will reach the semis. At the beginning of the tournament most rugby gambling fans would have confidently predicted the outcome of three of the four pool groups, with the only doubt being which two from England, Australia and Wales would make the cut. That question has now been resolved with hosts England crashing out, so we are left with the possibility that none of the remaining northern hemisphere sides will make the semis. The form book says that Ireland have the best chance against Argentina, but rugby gambling fans will be concerned that the loss of three experienced Irish forwards through injuries and suspension and the recent vast improvement shown by the Pumas will lead to a situation where there are no six nations sides in the semis for the first time.