THE BERNIE THE BOOK COLUMN
ALL BLACKS SET FOR WORLD DOMINANCE – BENGALS TO ROAR IN CINCY
Has four years passed since the Springboks thumped England in the Rugby World Cup final? Incredibly yes! And it’s now full throttle to France as host venue for Rugby World Cup 2023. And if I asked you to pick a nation that is synonymous with the oval ball who would you automatically pick? Yes the All Blacks (NZ) with their air of invincibility, the Haka and their enduring record of the world’s best team. The facts however don’t back that up…in the previous nine World Cups, they have won only three times!! And in crucial games (semis, finals etc. across all those year’s since 1987), they have to my mind choked (please don’t tell this to the Front Row!!!), so why are they such good things? Does 5/2 repre- sent value? Does 5/2 become a winning bet? In my mind un- questionably yes;
a statement rendered more so now that their chief market
rivals, the hosts France, have lost Romain
Ntamack, their star playmaking fly half with a ruptured ACL who will miss the tournament. Opposition is strong, especially from the Springboks, but despite Ireland being rated the World’s best and the current Grand Slam Six Nations champions, I have a feeling they are on the wane and the wait will surely continue for Northern Hemisphere glory with only England winning the tournament once in 2003 (Hello Johnny!!) The ALL BLACKS are also continuing to thrash their Southern Hemisphere opponents in 2023 and are a confident choice to add to their tally of three world cups.
RYDER CUP Europe will this year host the bi-annual Ryder Cup at the end of September, a real treat for golf fans. The venue is Rome and teams were finalised on Sunday 3 September. There is no doubt that the only winner this year is LIV golf, the Saudi backed breakaway tour with the fallout likely to rage on for decades yet. Golf fans will know the USGA has made ‘peace’ with the Americans who joined the tour and YES, incredibly, they are being allowed to play in the Ryder Cup, something the European Tour has not allowed. Will this
PHTM SEPTEMBER 2023
unity bond McIlroy et al or will the loss of Garcia, Poulter, Stenson, Casey and Westwood amongst others be too much for Captain Donald to compensate for? A strong case can be made for them being past their sell by date, but that is conjecture. On the American side, Brooks Koepka is now eligible, and a certainty for selection and likely to join him via Captain’s picks will be D J, and possibly Talor Gooch and Patrick Reed. After all, won’t the governing body want unity over form? Either way, the arsenal that the AMERICANS can fire far outguns Europe and at a whopping 8/11, fill your Footjoys! (geddit?)
SUPERBOWL LVIII Put the 11th of February 2024 in your diaries now, as Superbowl 58 to you and me, takes place in the new home of the Raiders in Nevada, shame they won’t be there. Anyone who reads my column regularly knows that BtB is well clued up on American sports and has tipped winners at 18/1, 12/1, 16/1 and 13/2 before a ball has been kicked…and this year is hopefully no exception. And yes, my fancies might well be honed before Week 5, but at this embryonic stage my main pick is the CINCINATTI BENGALS at 12/1. How they lost last year’s AFC Championship game is beyond me and to my mind they are the best AFL team, with powerful playmakers such as Joe Burrow (QB), Tee Higgins (RB) and Ja Marr Chase (WR). Back them now. I think they will be challenged to the AFC by the resurgent NY Jets (16/1), now they have a rookie QB from Green Bay!! But ultimately they don’t as yet have a Broadway Joe. In the NFC, battle should wrest between the Eagles, Cowboys and San Fran for Superbowl glory. They are currently available at 8/1, 14/1 and 9/1 respectively. Preference is for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. Of course, this time of the season I like to put a fanciful 6, 7 and 8 timer on the Divisional winners that can pay mega bucks if all come up. This year my picks are: NY Jets, Bengals, Jags and Chiefs in the AFC and Philly, Detroit, Atlanta and San Fran in the NFC. The 8-timer pays £4,966 to a £10 stake!!
Until next time…
Bernie the Book 79
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