New Zealand are widely regarded as the team-to-beat in rugby union and that is reflected in their recent Tri Nations record. The All Blacks have been victorious four times in the last five years, sandwiching South Africa’s 2004 win with triumphs in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. Bookmaker quotes of 4/9 about them retaining their title in 2007 show firms are taking no chances about a team who are popular to back.

That is not to say the Tri Nations are uncompetitive – far from it. The Aussies and Springboks are fearsome opponents themselves, especially on home soil which counts for so much in rugby. The first match of the 2007 competition is South Africa v New Zealand and it was honours even in this fixture last year. Only once in the past eight years have a team won every single match so it may not pay to blindly bet on the favourite every time.

Any bookie worth their salt will be covering each and every one of the Tri Nations matches on an In-Play basis. Typical markets on offer are Match Result, Handicap Result (where one team is given an imaginary points start), Next Team to Score and Next Score, ie will it be a try, a penalty kick, a drop goal etc. This is where many shrewd punters will make money; by closely watching the opening exchanges before deciding on the right bet for them.