Rugby World Cup 2015: All Blacks fans feeling confident

Name: Rugby: Kiwi fans backing the All Blacks
Uploaded: 2015-10-12T08:44:00+13:00
Duration: 121 s
Description: It's knock out rugby time for the All Blacks and first up in the quarter-finals are the AB's nemesis France, they are first up in Cardiff this Saturday, so get behind the All Blacks.

Herald online

15 Oct, 2015 04:19 AM2 mins to read

It's knock out rugby time for the All Blacks and first up in the quarter-finals are the AB's nemesis France, they are first up in Cardiff this Saturday, so get behind the All Blacks.

All Blacks fans are feeling a little better about their side's chances about winning the World Cup with more bets placed on New Zealand than Australia at the TAB this week.

This arrests a two-week period when more bets were placed on the Wallabies and might have had something to do with New Zealand's better second half in their 47-9 win over Tonga last weekend.

As many as 32 per cent of punters backed the All Blacks this week to win the tournament, with 24 per cent favouring the Wallabies. Last week the numbers were 23 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.

Confidence in South Africa has been growing after their dreadful start, with 20 per cent of all bets this week on the Springboks to win the tournament.

The TAB have been charting who punters think will win the World Cup based on the number of bets for the overall winner.

It now means 36 per cent of all bets taken since the World Cup markets opened in July 2014 are on the All Blacks to win. That number peaked at 56 per cent soon after the markets opened and was at 43 per cent on the eve of the tournament.

Australia are second favourites with 17 per cent and Ireland and South Africa equal third with 12 per cent.

The quarter-finals take place this weekend, with South Africa taking on Wales and the All Blacks playing France on Sunday morning (NZT). Ireland play Argentina and Australia take on Scotland on Monday morning.

Where the bets went this week (total number of bets):
NZ: 32 per cent (last week 23)
Australia: 24 (34)South Africa: 20 (14)
Ireland: 10 (13)
France: 10 (8)
Wales: 4 (6)