With Punchestown coming up next week, we’ve taken a break on the horses for now and are instead focussing our attention on rugby, GAA and the biggest football match in the world.
Connacht v Aironi (Connacht to win by 13 or more points @ 6/5)
Before their memorable victory over Harlequins in the Heineken Cup, this season had threatened to get very, very ugly for Eric Elwood’s men. While that win didn’t exactly inspire a winning streak, the Westerners have been more solid since and have won three of their last five games.
Aironi, on the other hand, have only two games left before they will be disbanded and it would be somewhat understandable if their minds aren’t completely focussed on the job at hand at the Sportsground this evening. A comfortable Connacht win for us.
Barcelona v Real Madrid (Draw @ 14/5)
There’s one game this weekend that will definitely attract a worldwide audience and with all due respect to both teams involved, it ain’t gonna be Wicklow v Down in the NHL Division 2A relegation play-off.
10 points ahead at one stage in the race for the La Liga title, Real Madrid have faltered of late and the threat of being overtaken by Barcelona is very real indeed.
With only four games left after tonight, however, and considering both sides’ record against everyone but each other in Spain, a draw should be enough to ensure that the title goes the way of Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid and that’s what we expect to transpire at the Camp Nou.
Wolves v Manchester City (4 or more goals @ 11/10)
There’s no such thing as JOE’s lock of the week – the history of our betting ‘experts’ is far too erratic for that – but if we did have one, it would be this. Wolves, it is fair to say, are in freefall and before last week’s stalemate against Sunderland, they had conceded 30 goals in 10 games.
City, on the other hand, have been reinvigorated by the return of Carlos Tevez, who has formed a lethal partnership with his compatriot Sergio Aguero, a partnership that has yielded eight goals in the last two games as City have went to town on West Brom and Norwich respectively.
Apologies to any Wolves fans out there, but we expect a thrashing at Molineux and think that four or more goals is little short of a formality.
Tipperary v Cork (Cork to win @ 11/8)
There is likely to be a far more important encounter down the line for these two (a Munster semi-final if Tipp can beat Limerick) so it would be no surprise if Jimmy Barry Murphy and Declan Ryan don’t lay all their cards on the table at Semple Stadium on Sunday.
There was nothing to separate the two of them at the same venue three weeks back and we don’t expect there to be much in the difference tomorrow either. In terms of development, it’s probably a more important game for the Rebels than the Premier and we’ve a sneaking suspicion the visitors might just pull it off against the odds.
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