We’re coming at you with a recession-busting accumulator this weekend that’ll reap a cool €655 if you’re sensible/stupid enough to part with your hard-earned ten quid.
Bolton to beat Sunderland, 3/1
With little else but places in the table to play for, Sunderland are very much in feet up territory and thinking about the summer holidays, apart from John O’Shea, Kieren Westwood and (hopefully) James McClean, of course.
The Mackems haven’t scored in the last four league games and they’ll be up against a Bolton side fighting for their lives and who have shown encouraging signs in their last two games. 3/1 sounds very tempting indeed.
Quel Esprit to win the tote.com Punchestown Gold Cup, 5/2 ish
After a bad experience at this Festival last year – the grey was brought down in the Growise Novice Chase – it has been success all the way for Willie Mullins’ charge since. He romped home in the Hennessy Gold Cup and after swerving the Cheltenham Festival, he comes here looking to end the season unbeaten.
Rubi Light should be the only serious challenger to the favourite but after the week that Mullins’ has had, we can’t go against him here.
Tyrone to beat Cork, 4/5
There are two fascinating encounters in store at headquarters on Sunday and there’s a very good chance all four teams will be back at Croker for the quarter-finals later this year. A new-look Tyrone side won all seven out of their seven games in the league and we fancy them to maintain that record against the Lilywhites this weekend before making a big impact in the Championship further down the line.
Leinster to beat Clermont Auvergne by 1-12 points, 8/5
The fact that this one is incredibly close call is reflected in the fact that the bookies can’t find a way to separate them and have offered even money odds on both sides. With all due respect to Ulster (less so to Edinburgh), these two are the best teams in Europe at the moment and if Leinster are possibly slightly superior, it is offset by Clermont’s home advantage (or as good as home advantage).
There are so many different subplots (Joe Schmidt’s return, Brock James’ attempt to overcome the nightmare of two years ago), but we have a feeling that Leinster’s name is on the trophy this year and that they’ll edge this one. But only just.
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