British & Irish Lions Tour Betting Tips

The warm-ups are over, the psychological rumblings have begun from the coaches and finally we get to the real test of this year's Lions, a Test match. So far they have been undefeated, not always impressively so, but undefeated nonetheless.

Is that important? Yes. It breeds confidence and means the whole squad is battle-hardened. That is the concern with South Africa.

They have been kept away from the Lions and just trained. For some their rugby is very rusty. Ruan Pienaar has not played since January and Schalk Burger is also out for the first Test with a calf injury. However his replacement is the impressive Brussow from the Cheetahs who proved so awkward two weeks ago, and the seven Sharks and five Bulls have not played since the end of the Super 14.

Will they be undercooked? Possibly so and this offers the Lions their best hope because on paper there is a gulf in class between the two squads. I have to fancy the Boks because of the extraordinary problems the Lions have endured at the breakdown. Not once have they really dominated there in a manner that suggests they could in a Test. The scrum should attack Smit. That is a battle the Lions can win but the ball on the floor will probably be Boks ball and from that will stem the Lions' problems.

Sorry to be so negative but Lions need Boks to stutter from the start and hope that an early lead unsettles the home side. I see a Boks win by at least 7.

How do we bet? We alrady have a long term series back of South Africa at 4/11 so take the widely offered punt on the Sprinkboks with a handicap of 7 points at 10/11. That is my bet for the First Test.