The main sporting action this weekend includes the first leg of qualifiers for the final spots for European countries at next year's football World Cup in South Africa and a continuation of Rugby Union's autumn internationals.
The weekend started last night with England's cricketers narrowly beating South Africa in their 20/20 international - not a result I would have predicted but will put down to the effect of the weather! I watched Wales narrowly beat Samoa and to be honest felt that Wales were lucky to win in the end but it was a result I expected. Also in rugby union the French beat the Springboks, another result I would have gone for following the results the French achieved on their southern hemisphere tour in the summer. However, these matches have been played and now for the actual predictions.
I'll start with rugby league as it is the final of the four nations tonight and whilst my heart says go with England, I think the Aussies will be too strong and will go for them to win. In the union code my predictions are for England to beat Argentina but it will be close and I am concerned by the conveyor belt of injuries to England props at the moment. In Ireland last week's victors from Twickenham take on the six nations champions and again in a tight game I am going with the Aussies.
As I indicated earlier the main football action this weekend are the games to determine the last four qualifiers for South Africa next year. I was disappointed that teams were seeded to keep them apart and it does mean that perhaps we have been robbed of one or two countries who would in normal circumstances expecting to qualify not making it. My predictions are only for this weekend and not the overall outcome of the ties and I am starting with Russia to beat Slovenia and Portugal to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina. The two ties that are more difficult to forecast are the games in Dublin where Ireland host the runners-up from the last tournament, France and in Greece (the surprise 2004 European Champions) who host Ukraine. In both of these matches I am predicting a draws leaving it all to play for in the return legs next week.
My final prediction for the week is for the tennis in Paris where the semi-final between Nadal and Djokovic will probably produce the tournament winner. I am going for Nadal to triumph both today and in the final tomorrow.
So in summary my eight predictions are:
Four Nations Final
Australia to beat England at 1/5
Rugby Union Autumn Internationals
England to beat Argentina at 1/4
Australia to beat Ireland at 11/8
World Cup Football Play-offs
Russia to beat Slovenia at 4/11
Greece to draw with Ukraine at 9/4
Ireland to draw with France at 11/5
Portugal to beat Bosnia at 1/2
Paris Masters Tennis
Nadal to win tournament at 15/8
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