Rugby

Scotland can play with freedom against France after beating Italy last time out and that could make them dangerous opponents in Edinburgh. It is also worth noting that Les Bleus have lost on three consecutive visits to Murrayfield, so this is definitely a potential banana skin for the Six Nations leaders. More...

England still have Six Nations title aspirations ahead of hosting Wales and that can inspire them to a convincing victory at Twickenham. Eddie Jones is also eyeing revenge for last year's second-half collapse in Cardiff, which ultimately set the Dragons up for Grand Slam success. More...

Australian sides have dominated rugby league's World Club Challenge of late and St Helens face a tough test when taking on the Sydney Roosters. However, while the odds are stacked against Saints becoming only the second British winner in eight years, we feel they can be competitive on home turf. More...

The jury is still out on England after two inconclusive Six Nations performances and we're reluctant to trust them against a rock-solid side like Ireland. Andy Farrell's men stuttered to an opening victory over Scotland but were much more convincing when seeing off defending champions Wales in Dublin. More...

Wales have won eight of their last nine encounters with France, but only one of those contests was settled by more than 10 points. The four most recent meetings have been incredibly close, with the aggregate score 76-71 in favour of the Dragons, following October's 20-19 World Cup triumph. More...

Scotland are expected to inflict a 25th straight Six Nations defeat on Italy in Rome but the feeling is that this will at least be a competitive contest. The Azzurri only went down by a couple of points when these teams met here a couple of years ago and are coming off a spirited effort in France. More...

France were promoted to favourites for a first Six Nations title in 10 years after beating England and are expected to ease past Italy in Paris. However, Les Bleus do not play in a manner which suggests they can dominate the Azzurri throughout this contest, so the underdogs do appeal with a big start. More...

England cannot afford any more Six Nations slip-ups after losing away to France and we're expecting a clinical victory when they visit Scotland. There were hints in the second half in Paris of what Eddie Jones' men are capable of and they can get back on track with an emphatic Murrayfield triumph. More...

Ireland were less convincing than Wales in the opening round of Six Nations fixtures but home advantage is always a key factor in big games. The men in green prevailed 37-27 when these teams last met in Dublin in this tournament and will again be roared on by a vociferous Aviva Stadium crowd. More...

It feels as though French rugby has been in the doldrums for some time now but Les Bleus have managed to maintain a good home record against England. They have won three of the last four head-to-head encounters in Paris and will be fired up for the first round of fixtures in this year's Six Nations. More...

Ireland comfortably accounted for Scotland at the World Cup and have won their last couple of Six Nations encounters, but now must adapt to a new regime. Andy Farrell may have been promoted from within, but there is still every chance that the men in green may take a little time to adjust. More...

Wales begin the defence of their Six Nations crown with a straightforward task when taking on perennial whipping boys Italy. Last year's Grand Slam champions have won 13 straight encounters with the Azzurri, with the average margin of victory being 31 points over the past five meetings in this comp. More...

England put in such a controlled performance when beating New Zealand in the World Cup semis that they are hard to oppose against South Africa in the final. The Springboks managed to grind out a scrappy win over Wales in the other last-four contest but have not shown the same class. More...

Stellar coaches Steve Hansen and Warren Gatland will move on after New Zealand face Wales and we reckon it is the former who will sign off on a high note. Both teams have made changes for the Rugby World Cup third-place play-off and that should bring the All Blacks' greater strength in depth into play. More...

Wales made hard work of reaching the last four but are now just one win away from their first Rugby World Cup final. The Six Nations champions were in danger of elimination last weekend but came from behind to claim a 20-19 victory and set up a showdown with South Africa. More...

England head into Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final in Yokohama as big underdogs to cause an upset and halt New Zealand’s defence of their title. The All Blacks are looking to win the tournament for a third successive time and the way they blew Ireland away in the quarter-finals showed they are clearly the team to beat once again. More...

Japan will have fond memories of facing South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, when famously pulling off a stunning upset to prevail 34-32. The Brave Blossoms have been superb on home turf this time around, claiming the scalps of Ireland and Scotland, so they could well test the Springboks again. More...

Ireland have won two of their last three games against New Zealand and can be competitive in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash. The All Blacks are still the team to beat as they chase a hat-trick of titles, but no longer seem able to totally dominate other top nations at this level. More...

England were beaten by Australia at the last Rugby World Cup but have won all six meetings since then and look in better shape at present. Eddie Jones' side cruised through the group stage as Pool C winners, albeit without having to face France, whereas the Wallabies laboured to second place behind Wales. More...

With the typhoon-battered pool stage of the Rugby World Cup now over, attention has turned swiftly to the knockout rounds where the eight remaining teams are vying for glory. We’ve analysed every full international match since the tournament was established in 1987 for clues about how the rest of the competition will pan out. More...

Scotland are fancied to keep their World Cup hopes alive by seeing off tournament hosts Japan. Gregor Townsend's men must come out on top to qualify for the quarter-finals, but can take heart from having prevailed in all seven past meetings with the Brave Blossoms. More...

All logic suggests St Helens should run away with the Super League Grand Final but Salford have upset the odds time and time again this year. The Red Devils claimed emphatic play-off wins over Castleford and Wigan, plus they only lost by two points away to Saints in the regular season. More...

New Zealand are firm favourites to complete a hat-trick of Rugby World Cup triumphs and are hard to oppose in the outright betting for the Japan spectacular. The All Blacks edged out France in the 2011 decider on home turf and brushed aside Australia in the final in England four years ago. More...

St Helens will be looking to make their domestic dominance count when they take on Warrington in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. Saints have produced the best rugby this season and they justify the favourite tag by sitting 16 points clear of the second-placed Wolves in the Super League table. More...

Saracens are fancied to beat Exeter in the Premiership Rugby final for the third time in four years when they clash at Twickenham. Mark McCall's men prevailed 28-20 in the 2016 decider and romped to a 27-10 triumph 12 months ago, with the Chiefs edging out Wasps to lift the trophy in between. More...

We've picked out our Premiership Rugby predictions ahead of Saturday's play-off semi-finals and are looking at the handicap markets for a bit of value. Last season's two finalists are red-hot favourite to reach the decider again, but will they be able to cover double-digit starts this term? More...

More than 40,000 fans are expected at Celtic Park on Saturday for the Pro 14 final between Glasgow and Leinster, so home advantage could play a big part. The Warriors will be roared on by a strong support, as they seek to lift this trophy for the second time, having previously prevailed in 2015. More...

We've got Super League predictions for all six matches at this year's Magic Weekend and are hoping to land an 11/1-plus pay-out if they all prevail. Anfield will stage the latest renewal of British rugby league's mid-season spectacular and every team will be keen to impress in Liverpool. More...

Leinster and Saracens have dominated the European Rugby Champions Cup in recent years and are set for a titanic tussle in this season's final at St James' Park. The Irish province are the holders of this trophy, while Sarries claimed outright glory in 2016 and 2017, so big-match experience is not an issue. More...

We've got three Six Nations predictions from this weekend's fifth and final round of fixtures and are hoping to hit the bookies with an 11/2-plus treble. There are matches taking place in Rome, Cardiff and Twickenham, with the battle for top spot in the table going right down to the wire. More...