Six Nations 2015: Odds, Predictions and Fixture List for Round 4
Ireland's commanding win over England in Round 3 has put the defending champions in the driver's seat for the 2015 Six Nations title heading into their Round 4 clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
The Welsh were the last side to achieve a Grand Slam back in 2012, and judging by Ireland's excellent showing this past Sunday, Joe Schmidt's men have to like their chances of pulling off the feat.
The team looks like a strong bet to repeat as champions, but Wales will have other ideas when the two meet in two weeks, knowing a win knocks the race wide open once again. Here's the schedule for Round 4, complete with odds and predictions:
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| Saturday, March 14 | 2:30 p.m. | Wales (6-5) | 18-1 | Ireland (4-6) | Ireland win, 22-12 |
| Saturday, March 14 | 5 p.m. | England (1-14) | 33-1 | Scotland (6-1) | England win, 28-6 |
| Sunday, March 15 | 3 p.m. | Italy (13-5) | 20-1 | France (2-7) | France win, 19-6 |
| Ireland | 4-7 |
| England | 9-4 |
| Wales | 6-1 |
| France | 500-1 |
| Italy | 1000-1 |
| Ireland (Grand Slam) | 11-10 |
Ireland's 19-9 win over England in Round 3 came in typical fashion, capitalising on a plethora of England mistakes and playing sound, disciplined rugby.
England were seen as the main threat to Ireland's title hopes and their chances of pulling off the Grand Slam, but following the win, Schmidt told reporters his players aren't thinking of the feat just yet, via the Daily Telegraph's Daniel Schofield:
"It's something we haven't talked about [the Grand Slam]. I'll wait for Brian O'Driscoll's tweet to put the pressure on me. I think we've decided we'll park everything for 24 hours, get a bit of recovery and then try to springboard ourselves forward.
We're up in Belfast for an overnight camp in the middle of the week, and that's where we'll start to look ahead. At this stage just probably for once we're going to just enjoy the moment and take a deep breath.
"
As Schmidt reminded reporters, Wales' last title followed after they lost their opening match at home, just like they did this year. And after a big 20-13 win in Paris, the Welsh can smell blood once again.
As shared by Wales Online Rugby, BBCScrumV doesn't see any reason why the hosts shouldn't like their chances:
The return of flanker Sean O'Brien to the pitch was short-lived, as the powerful runner took a big knock to the head in the first half against England and was immediately substituted.
While it's too early to discuss his availability for the match against Wales, he was very slow to get up from the hit and looked wobbly as he left for the sidelines, which is not a good sign:
Ireland have so far capitalised on the mistakes made by their opponents, but Wales tend to play a far more disciplined game than England or Italy. And with the proficient Leigh Halfpenny kicking for the hosts, anything is possible when the two sides meet.
England aren't out of the title conversation just yet and face winless Scotland at Twickenham, the perfect opportunity for the side to bounce back from Sunday's loss.
To say Scotland's last-minute loss to the Italians was a disappointment would be an understatement—as shared by MailOnline Sport, even the team's coaching staff had difficulty keeping in their anger:
Both teams played arguably their worst match of the tournament in Round 3, but the Scots have struggled with set pieces throughout the campaign and are still building their fresh squad with an eye on the upcoming World Cup.
They'll be eager to avoid the wooden spoon, but in Twickenham against an England side eager to bounce back from their first loss of the tournament, you can't like the chances of Vern Cotter's men.
Camille Lopez had a dreadful outing kicking the ball against Wales in Paris, and while Les Bleus didn't necessarily perform poorly, his inability to match Halfpenny greatly cost the hosts.
Anything Rugby didn't mince their words:
France will have a chance to bounce back against Italy, who recorded only their second-ever away win in the tournament over Scotland through sheer determination and grit. Their mentality clearly isn't the issue, but talent might be.
Sergio Parisse is a phenomenal rugby player, but depth remains a big problem for the Azzurri. It would be one special feat if they could beat Scotland and France in back-to-back matches, but it looks highly unlikely to happen.
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