Wales’s odds slashed

Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions Published 12:18 pm 17th Feb 2004 News

Not everyone in Wales is getting excited about their rugby team’s resurgence, bookmakers, Jack Brown, are dreading the next six weeks. Wales’s comfortable 23-10 victory over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday inspired Welsh fans desperate for success after several lean years. They’re putting their money where their mouths are.

“If Wales win the RBS Six Nations, it would be a catastrophic nightmare for us,” Jack Brown spokesman, Karl Williams, admitted. “If they win the Grand Slam, we’ll have to shut our doors! Even the Triple Crown would be a disaster.”

Jack Brown have slashed their odds on Welsh success in this year’s tournament. Wales to win the RBS Six Nations title is rated a 16-1 chance, the Triple Crown a 16-1 chance and the Grand Slam a 33-1 chance, in from 100-1 a week ago.

“Our biggest bet is £250 at 33-1 on Wales to win the Triple Crown, so that person stands to win £8,500 and we have a £100 bet on the Grand Slam at 66-1,” Williams said. “We have literally thousands of bets on Wales winning the title. Saturday’s result was bad enough for us, everyone bet on Wales winning with a ten point handicap, which they did.”

Despite the fans’ optimism, Jack Brown are making Wales 2-1 outsiders for this weekend’s match against Ireland (1-3).

“We feel that Ireland scored seventeen points against a good team away from home and without Brian O’Driscoll and Wales scored only twenty-three points against a dire team at home,” Williams said. “I think the 2-1 odds will attract a lot of money.”