London will be the center of attention of the Rugby world this September, as the city plays host to the eighth staging of the Rugby World Cup. The action begins on September 19 with the Red and Whites of England takes on the Flying Fijians in Twickenham.
Read on for a brief rundown of this matchup. You can also click here for an overview of New Zealand vs. Argentina.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]England vs. Fiji Preview
Where: Twickenham, London
When: Saturday, September 19, 2015, 5:00 AM ET
Line: England (-25.5) vs. Fiji (+25.5) – view all 2015 Rugby World Cup Odds
Betting on England
[sc:Other240banner ]It’s been 12 years since England took home its first and thus far only Webb Ellis Cup. And for this edition of the World Cup, the English are eyeing a strong campaign to help them erase the bitter memory of a disappointing in the 2011 edition of this event, where they were eliminated by France in the quarterfinal round.
Fast forward to today, the English side nevertheless is viewed as a force to reckon with on the pitch, as evidenced by the team’s +450 odds to win the World Cup right in its own backyard.
The English are also favored to rule Pool A, where they are -110 chalks to top it. Among the players head coach Stuart Lancaster are counting on are Chris Robshaw and fullback Mike Brown and center Jonathan Joseph.
Robshaw, the team’s captain, brings elite tackling to the table, while Brown and Joseph lend the team with speed and agility on the attack. Brown, who plays for Harlequin along with Robshaw in the English Premiership, has 50 tries in the league since 2006. Joseph, meanwhile, is a rising star, having scored five tries in just 13 tests.
In its most recent match, England defeated Ireland, 21-13, at Twickenham on September 5. It was a morale-boosting victory for the Red and Whites, who entered the game coming off a disappointing 25-20 loss to France.
England is 5-0 in its last five matches against Fiji.
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Betting on Fiji
Fiji, on the other hand, is looking to score a massive upset right at the very start of the Rugby World Cup. Priced at +100,000 to win, Fiji enters the tournament on the heels of a championship run in last August’s Pacific Nations Cup, where they beat teams such as Tonga, Samoa, and Japan.
The Flying Fijians didn’t stop there. Following their successful run in the six-team tournament in Burnaby, the team went on to dismantle Canada, 47-18, at The Stoop in London on September 6. It was the last tune-up match for Fiji before its clash with England. Scrum-half Nikola Matawalu and wing Waisea Vuidravuwalu each scored two tries against Canada’s porous defense.
Despite Matawalu and Vuidravuwalu’s terrific performance in the Canada game, Fiji’s best player arguably remains Nemani Nadolo. Nadolo, who is under contract with the Crusaders of the New Zealand Rugby Union, possesses an uncanny combination of size (6-5, 275 pounds), speed, and athleticism that few wingers could match. Nadolo has 20 caps under his belt to go along with 15 tries on 20 tests.
Center Akapusi Qera, meanwhile, is the most experienced player on the side of Fiji. The 31-year-old eighthman has 47 caps, eight of which were in Rugby World Cup games. In the 2007 games, Qera recorded three tries in three matches.
Writer’s Prediction
England (-25.5) wins, 37-22.
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