By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports
New Zealand will head to Japan to take on the Cherry Blossoms in their first game before their northern tour.
New Zealand will aim for a strong campaign over the next few weeks, facing stiff competition against England and Ireland.
This means they will be looking to get off to a solid start against Eddie Jones’s side.
After a mediocre Rugby Championship campaign, Scott Robertson’s side will be keen to lay down a marker and dominate the northern competition to reinforce their status as one of the world’s best teams.
It promises to be an exciting game with many fascinating betting options to consider.
Japan
Since their monumental win against South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Japan has been known as a side that plays attractive rugby and can challenge the elite.
The Japanese, renowned for their resilience, are a team that gives their all on the pitch.
Over the past year, there has been a lot of excitement because head coach Jones has returned to the team after stints with England and Australia.
Jones brings credibility wherever he goes, owing to his history of success. From a Japanese perspective, having a coach of his calibre back in their ranks is excellent.
Of course, Jones was leading Japan when they toppled the Springboks on that historic day in Brighton.
Japan has been performing well against fellow tier-2 nations, securing wins over Canada and Samoa in the Asian Cup.
Unfortunately, they fell short against Fiji in the final. However, they continue to struggle when competing against tier-1 nations; for example, they were comfortably beaten by England and Italy in the summer, suggesting there is still some way to go for the team if they wish to compete with the best.
Over the years, Japan has struggled with handling physicality, which they will need to improve, as more physical teams often get results—for example, South Africa and France.
Japan will be looking to cause an upset, and even though the favourites are likely to win, signs of improvement from Jones’s side would be welcome.
Like New Zealand, they will head north after this game to take on France and England, meaning they will be keen to build on something positive.
New Zealand
As for Japan’s opposition, New Zealand will look to dominate at the Nissan Stadium, a renowned rugby venue, on Saturday.
As stated, the All Blacks are coming off a Rugby Championship campaign, and they could have achieved more than they did.
The team does not seem to be the formidable force of years gone by; this could be because, like many nations post-World Cup, the Kiwis are going through a transitional period as they build towards 2027.
However, Robertson has named a strong side to face Japan, with Sam Cane, Damian McKenzie, and Sevu Reece starting for the team.
New Zealand’s style of play has been as flamboyant as ever in their recent encounters, but what has let them down are uncharacteristic mistakes not usually associated with an All Blacks team.
This led to a surprising defeat to Argentina and two losses to South Africa in games they could have won.
They have some big games ahead, as after Japan, they will face England and then take on the Irish. Both games will draw interest from fans because England ran them close in their summer tour, and Ireland will be looking for revenge after the 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
On their day, New Zealand is unplayable and can beat anyone in the world. Robertson will aim to prove that the All Blacks have not lost their touch, with the first step being a dominant result against Japan to build a solid foundation for the challenging contests ahead.
The Bets
Looking at potential betting options for the game, there are some interesting avenues to explore. The best bet seems to be for the total number of points to be over 65.5.
The excitement of high scores is palpable, with the potential for an open game and plenty of tries to be scored.
There is value in betting on New Zealand winning by more than 39 points, as Japan could be in for a long contest based on form and the team Robertson has selected.
A significant return could come if you place a bet on New Zealand to win by more than 45 points.
Best Bet: Total points to be over 65.5 – 20/21
Value Bet: New Zealand to win by more than 39 points – 9/5
Longshot Bet: New Zealand to win by more than 45 points – 16/5
