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Boks third favourites to win RWC - bookies

Cape Town - The Springboks are third favourites with the bookmakers to win this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Not surprisingly, Sportingbet.co.za has defending champions New Zealand as 6/5 favourites to win the showpiece event.

Hosts England are second favourites at 5/1, while two-time champions South Africa are third at 11/2.

Australia and Ireland (both 9/1) are next in line, with France and Wales (both 18/1) considered outsiders.

The Springboks are in Pool B, along with Japan, Scotland, Samoa and the USA.

Should the Boks win their pool, they will face the runner-up of Pool A in the quarter-finals - possibly either Australia, England or Wales.

If they emerge unscathed from that, then a possible semi-final against old rivals the All Blacks looms.

The Boks open their campaign against Japan in Brighton on September 19. Their second Pool B game is on September 26 against Samoa in Birmingham, before Tests against Scotland in Newcastle on October 3 and the USA in London on October 7.

Springbok RWC squad:

Forwards

Willem Alberts, Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Lood de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield (vice-captain), Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Adriaan Strauss, Duane Vermeulen

Backs

Jean de Villiers (captain), Damian de Allende, Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana, Zane Kirchner, Jesse Kriel, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Handre Pollard, Morne Steyn

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