Six Nations Round 2 Betting Tips & Preview

Italy's last home Six Nations win was against Ireland in the final round of the 2013 tournament, but they have never won a game in round two and that fact is highly unlikely to change on Saturday in Rome.

Ireland, conquerors of South Africa, new Zealand and Australia last year, will be seething after losing 26-22 at Murrayfield last weekend.

Joe Schmidt will have been smarting for seven days at Scotland's success, particularly the cheeky 'backs in the lineout' move for Alex Dunbar's try, and planning to exploit the chinks in the Azzurri's armour exposed in the second half of last Sunday's 33-7 loss to Wales.

Italy conceded too many penalties. They were shown one yellow card and it could have been more. They couldn't handle the running lines of the Red Dragons. However, there will be no complacency in the ranks of the Boys In Green (or white). Ever-chipper compatriot Conor O'Shea masterminded Italy's win over South Africa in November and they held a half-time lead over Wales because of their forwards and canny close to the ruck and maul work of Scrum-Half Edoardo Gori. This week O'Shea has picked a pack, with Leonardo Ghiraldini at Hooker, Dries van Schalkwyk at Lock and Simone Favaro at Openside Flanker, designed to compete with Ireland at the breakdown and provide extra defensive cover.

The handicap line is at Ireland minus 23 and it is hard to argue with that assessment. Italy have only lost by 30 or more points twice in nine round two outings at home. Ireland are yet to win a game in Rome by 30 or more points.

However, if inspirational skipper Sergio Parisse is not fit after all following the neck injury sustained against Wales or he has to withdraw early from the action, then the visitors could storm over that mark. Ireland should give up 12 points on the second-half handicap whatever. Wales notched 30 unanswered points after the interval and Ireland's replacements have a history in this fixture of scoring tries.

On this Ireland bench, Backrower Josh van der Flier and Utility Back Craig Gilroy are the most obvious candidates to cross. But Back-up Loosehead Prop Jack McGrath is a big price to crash over. Both his Test tries have come against Italy.

With both Wales wings dotting down last weekend, Keith Earls is worth a dabble for first Ireland tryscorer. Number 11 Earls has scored in each of his last three Tests and also scored the only try in the teams' meeting at the 2015 World Cup. That try was his fourth career touchdown against Italy. BetStars account holders may be salivating at the 5-6 about the second half having most points.

Sit down and savour is the most sensible advice for Saturday's twilight showdown in Cardiff. But Wales with a Handicap start of five may prove a betting ticket to hold.

2016 Grand Slammers England are crossing the Severn in search of a 16th straight Test win and have won two of their last three Six Nations visits to the Welsh capital, including 21-16 two years ago when injury-ravaged and overcoming the concession of an early easy try to a close-range scrum move.

But whisper it quietly, their bombastic Head Coach Eddie Jones may actually be worried about defeat. He has chosen to leave the Principality Stadium roof open - with showers and gusty winds forecast - despite previously saying it did not matter to him or his team.

He has blamed himself for England's sluggish performance against France last weekend. He has waffled about not understanding bad historical records in Wales. He has admitted to picking rookie Jack Clifford in the Back Row because he needs pace at the breakdown to stifle the twin threat on the flank of Red Dragons and British & Irish Lions aces Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric. Talismanic No. 8 Taulupe Faletau is back from injury on the Wales bench to boost the hosts efforts there as the game goes on.

Wales delight in defeating England. Not just in days of yore, recorded in dusty annals and on flaky film, either. The Red Dragons won in West London in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup. They won, under temporary Head Coach Rob Howley as they are now, in 2013 when England turned up in Cardiff with a Grand Slam in their sights only to lose the title to their hosts on points difference.

They won mid-tournament in 2012 at Twickenham and went on to claim a Slam themselves with England ending up on four wins.

England's set-piece was less secure against France last weekend without the injured Mako Vunipola, George Kruis, Chris Robshaw and Billy Vunipola and they had less dynamism carrying the ball too.

Wales have moved to sure up their scrum with Props Rob Evans and Tomas Francis starting after they stepped up off the bench to good effect against Italy.

Both teams struggled for fluency in their wins last weekend but Wales at least found the rhythm to score three tries and were knock-on away from the try bonus. The atmosphere will be electric even with the roof open.

Last year at Twickenham, England flew out of the blocks and took refreshment at 16-0 up but Wales came storming back after the break to lose only 25-21.

This year, it may be more of the same, a role reversal or a slow burner with kicks at goal prevalent. But an England romp like in 2001 and 2003, is highly unlikely. George North is seeking to score a try for the sixth consecutive Six Nations match on Saturday and is rightly the favourite in all try markets.

However, he will be a marked man and may not have fully recovered from the dead leg picked up in Rome, so Scott Williams is worth a poke to muscle over.

Inside Centre Williams broke England hearts and minds with a sucker-punch try in 2012 and he scored a fair consolation effort against Australia in November. He also carried his recent excellent Scarlets form - three tries in his last four club games including against Saracens and Toulon - into Sunday's game against Italy with plenty of incisive running without rewards.

Anthony Watson, who has scored in four of the teams' last five meetings, is injured and Jonny May, who scored England's sole try in the World Cup loss, has been benched for Jack Nowell.

Last year's Six Nations man of the tournament Stuart Hogg is a big price to pull in the plaudits and have the pundits purring again with a try in Paris on Sunday.

Hogg stayed in the spotlight last Saturday with two classy tries in Scotland's 27-22 win over Ireland at Murrayfield. He finished off their Autumn International series with two tries against Georgia. His 2016 honour was sealed with a sensational long-distance solo try in Dublin after sneaking over to complete a superb team try in Scotland's 29-17 success over France in Edinburgh. He has also scored two other Six Nations tries against Les Bleus.

Scotland's confidence will be sky high after beating Ireland and they will want to repeat the verve that underpinned last year's win over France.

However, France can find a way to make it nine wins out of nine in the Six Nations against Scotland at the Stade de France. Five of these wins have been by less than 13 points including the 2013 and 2015 meetings.

Last year at the Stade de France, Guy Noves's men edged out Italy and Ireland with unconvincing displays and without truly threatening to halt the Grand Slam charge, they worried England. A try in addition to decent goalkicking may have really had England wobbling. In defeat last Saturday, Les Bleus forwards, led by Captain Fantastic Louis Picamoles, barged England all over Twickenham for 70 minutes. And while their backs never got the freedom to fly, it will only take a second and some space for fleet-footed, side-stepping Wings Virimi Vakatawa and Noa Nakaitaci to thrive.

The Scots played with guile and gusto in the first half against Ireland to take a lead and showed grit and guts to retake an advantage after falling behind. But the impression is that they will struggle at scrum-time against their hosts much like they did for the opening 20 minutes against Ireland and they will surely not be able to pull the wool over Les Bleus' eyes with an audacious lineout play like the one that led to Alex Dunbar's try last week.

Ireland managed three tries despite huge tackle counts from a number of Scottish players so while the Dark Blue dam may not be busted wide open by this France outfit, the holes created should be big enough for them to slip to defeat.