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Cape Town - The Springboks start their European tour this weekend against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Click for the latest BET.co.za Ireland v Springboks odds
For a long time, you would automatically expect the Springboks to be favourites to beat Ireland, but that's no longer the case.
Match Winner Betting
Ireland are 5/10 favourites to beat the Boks (meaning you'll only get R5 back for every R10 you bet on them should they win) while the Springboks are 18/10 underdogs.
That's right, what those odds are telling us is that Ireland are 66% likely to beat the Boks while South Africa have a much more unlikely 34% chance of claiming the win.
Handicap Betting
When you look at the handicap it gets even uglier for the Springboks, with BET.co.za's betting line currently sitting on Ireland -4.5. What that means is that you can either get a 9/10 bet on Ireland to win by five or more points or South Africa to win, draw or lose by up to four points.
History
So how did this happen? The mighty Springboks hold a proud record against Ireland. The Boks have played 25 games against the Irish, winning 18, drawing 1 and losing on only 6 occasions.
However, when you dig into the statistics you’ll see that in their last nine meetings, Ireland have won 5 to the 4 of the Boks.
In the last 6 meetings in Ireland, the Boks are on the wrong side of a 2-4 win-loss ratio.
One rugby power is on the rise, while another appears to be on the wane.
Form
Ireland only start their season on Saturday, but were in fantastic form last year beating the All Blacks, Australia and England.
The Boks, on the other hand, slumped to a record defeat to New Zealand and could only beat below-par French and Argentinian sides, before scraping two draws with Australia.
It's not all doom and gloom for patriotic punters, with the Springboks beating Ireland in a home series in 2016. There is also a renewed confidence and energy in the camp after their last Test, where they narrowly lost to New Zealand. Will that be enough for a win away from home? Only time will tell.
Where will your money go?
